The websites of the normally paywalled New York Times and Wall Street Journal will both be free for everybody during the election. WSJ.com announced that its “open house” for all content and mobile apps will last for 24 hours from 5 p.m. tomorrow through Wednesday evening, and a Times spokesperson confirmed to Daily Intel that they have something similar planned as well, with details forthcoming. “We can — with one hit of a button — turn that meter to zero to allow everyone to read everything they want,” Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. stressed last year when the subscriber arrangement went into effect. “We’re going to learn. We built a system that is flexible.” The sites both offered complimentary access to articles last week during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath, with the Times forgoing its standard free article limit for five full days.
Update: The Times’ coverage will be free from 6 p.m. on Tuesday through 6 p.m. on Wednesday. “Removing the gate last week had no impact on our decision to remove the gate for the election — it’s been in the works for a while now,” said spokesperson Linda Zebian. “This is the third time The Times has offered free digital access surrounding a major news event.”
