The New York Times launches NYT Opinion, a digital subscription offering composed of company's opinion coverage; product is part of company's efforts to expand digital subscriptions, noting consumer demand for more in-depth coverage on specific areas

Aimee Bellah

NEW YORK , June 4, 2014 (press release) – New Subscription Product Offers Continuous Updates on Compelling Commentary and Perspective for $6 Every Four Weeks

The New York Times (NYTimes.com) today introduced NYT Opinion (NYTimes.com/nytopinion), the first digital product to offer a standalone subscription to all of The Times’s opinion coverage, along with a continuous feed of commentary from The New York Times and other reputable sources from around the web.

NYT Opinion is one of a number of paid products The Times is introducing this year to satisfy demand for deeper access to specific areas of coverage and to expand digital subscriptions.

NYT Opinion is available at a stand-alone subscription price of $6 every four weeks and includes unlimited access to the new NYT Opinion app for the iPhone® as well as all articles in the opinion section at NYTimes.com. NYT Opinion will also be available for free to all existing core digital and home delivery subscribers, as well as Times Premier subscribers.

Denise Warren, executive vice president, digital products and services, The New York Times, said: “As the first standalone digital subscription to focus on one specific content area, NYT Opinion seeks to satisfy those readers who want even more engagement with Times commentary by delivering an incredibly rich user experience rooted in a continuous stream of world-class news analysis on both mobile and on the web.”

Andrew Rosenthal, The Times’s editorial page editor, said: “The communal nature of the Internet and the rise of social media have allowed for more vibrant discussion of The Times’s opinion pieces. With the introduction of NYT Opinion and the new features we have added to the Opinion section on NYTimes.com we hope to lead more engaged readers to our content and provide an even deeper connection to our columnists and the global conversation.”

Edited by Paul Smalera, a former editor at Reuters and Fortune, the NYT Opinion app features two primary “streams” of information: “Today,” which includes all articles from the opinion section at NYTimes.com, as well as “Op-Talk,” a comprehensive and curated stream of the most provocative and compelling commentary from around the web, as selected and analyzed by a new staff of Times editors and writers. It also includes “My Reads,” which lets readers save articles to read later. Users can also share stories of interest via email and Twitter and view and post comments directly in the app.

In the coming weeks, The Times will introduce a “Follow” feature, which allows users to follow their favorite Times columnists and stay up to speed on all of the latest commentary.

In addition, The Times is introducing “Q&A,” a new feature that will be available on the NYT Opinion app as well as on the Opinion section of NYTimes.com, where Times columnists and guest Op-Ed contributors will respond to readers’ questions and comments. The first Q&A will be published Thursday, June 5, with Nick Kristof.

NYT Opinion is a milestone in The Times’s long history of opinion coverage. In 1970, The Times inaugurated its Op-Ed Page, which became a model for similar pages worldwide. In 2011, The Times’s opinion offerings expanded substantially with the launch of Sunday Review (formerly the Week in Review), a combined section of opinion essays and news analysis. The Times has simultaneously built a roster of contributing opinion writers, like Thomas B. Edsall, a leading political journalist; Ezekiel J. Emanuel, who writes about health policy; and T. M. Luhrmann, a scholar of religion.

Also in 2011, The Times began Op-Docs, a series of nonfiction short video and film. Last year, The Times substantially expanded its international opinion coverage, with the addition of nearly 30 contributing writers from around the world.

The NYT Opinion App for iPhone is free to download on the App Store. Non-subscribers may scan headlines and article summaries and enjoy up to 10 free articles each month. For more information on The New York Times subscriptions, please visit NYTimes.com/access.

The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.

Source: The New York Times Company

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