This is where the internet comes in. Newspaper sites need to convince the public that they want to start paying for something they have been getting for free for years. There are many theories as to how this can be done: some suggest pay walls, some suggest charging for new add-on services, some suggest daily or monthly subscriptions. There is no clear answer, but there is a clear business model.

The transition from free to paid is not going to be easy but McDermott creates another interesting parallel in the article as an additional revenue creating idea: iTunes. As he points out, Apple sells millions of iPods each year, spurred on, at least in part, by the sale of music through iTunes. He cites the idea of using an electronic gadget to increase the sales of a digital medium- as music sales and iPod sales affect each other, so too could e-reader technology and digital newspaper subscription sales correspond.

via Bottled water will save journalism – Editors Weblog.