Will people actually pay to read newspapers online?

I don’t think so but apparently they are going to give it a shot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/10/AR2009051002044.html

“A survey by the University of Southern California's Annenberg center found that Net users are spending 53 minutes per week reading online newspapers, up from 41 minutes in 2007. The problem, as you've undoubtedly heard, is that the print advertising that has supported sizable newsrooms is plunging, while online ads bring in just a fraction of the revenue. Combine that with an Internet culture built on free content, and newspapers suddenly find themselves on a starvation diet.”

I never thought about this but it’s true. Plus people pay to subscribe to newspapers but read them online for free. He goes on to say “But what about the old rolled-up, flip-through-the-pages, take-it-on-the-subway product?” Ah! Here’s he is talking about what I like to call “obnoxious newspaper people.” A newspaper is too big to read on the train without constantly hitting someone else, especially on a busy rush-hour train. Don’t do it.