Guardian's Alan Rusbridger defends free web news
The Guardian's editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, has attacked rival media companies such as News Corporation and the New York Times for erecting internet paywalls.
Mr Rusbridger — a passionate advocate for keeping journalism free on the web — said the Guardian considered but ruled out six charging models because they could have made online readership plummet.
In the annual Cudlipp Lecture on journalism at the London College of Communication, Mr Rusbridger argued that free content was consistent with the desire readers had for openness and involvement in news reporting in the digital age.
He claimed a "universal" paywall belonged to an era when newspapers were an "authority" on news rather than an entity engaged in a dialogue with readers. "We could be sleepwalking into oblivion" by following that path, he said.
Mr Rusbridger admitted that making money was difficult when one was free but he was hopeful advertising money was shifting online. Last year The Guardian's newspaper and online division lost £36.8 million.
He also did not rule out paywalls if Rupert Murdoch's News Corp was successful: "Then, of course, we're going to change our minds."
