"Freakonomics" Coauthor Suggests new Tactic for Newspapers

Stephen J. Dubner thinks newspapers could start profiting from their paper edition with a one-day embargo on online news. Unfortunately, the Internet is redefining what's free faster than businesses can cope; if they stop producing online news, they'll just accelerate the rate at which they lose subscribers -- people are willing to pay for the convenience of a newspaper, but they'll be less likely to patronize the one newspaper that doesn't offer online coverage. Unless they form a cartel, any single newspaper that tries this scheme will look hopelessly outdated and rather misanthropic.