Los Angeles Times to introduce a paywall from March
The Los Angeles Times daily newspaper is to begin charging readers for access to its online news from 5 March.
The US newspaper reports that its online readers will be asked to buy a digital subscription at an initial rate of 99 cents for four weeks.
After the first four weeks, the rate will rise to $1.99 a week in a package that also includes the Sunday newspaper. Digital-only access will cost $3.99 a week.
Readers who do not subscribe will be able to read 15 stories in a 30-day period for free. There will be no digital access charge for subscribers of the printed newspaper.
The LA Times joins other US news outlets that have begun charging for online journalism including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Dallas Morning News.
Gannett, the nation's largest newspaper company, last week announced plans to launch a similar programme at 80 publications - saying it could boost earnings by $100 million in 2013.
The LA Times has seen a steady print circulation decline. Paid daily circulation for the newspaper averaged about 575,000 for the six months ended in September, 2011, down about 200,000 from the same period five years earlier.
Sunday circulation has fallen by about 265,000 to just over 900,000 during the same time span.