Mr. Reason:

First, as for The New York Times, yes, I have noticed the decline of the NYT both in quality editorial policy and journalistic standards as well as in circulation numbers. Perhaps the local newspaper could find a better model to follow. For every newspaper you mention with a paid subscription on-line edition, I can counter with two that offer a free online edition, for example: The L. A. Times and The Washington Post for big city papers and The Mansfield News Journal and The Steubenville Herald-Star for small city papers.

Next, have you noticed that the Wall Street Journal is a newspaper that specializes in a targeted subject???

To fill you in on the rest of the story: The Wall Street Journal, and many other specialized, targeted publications, have not “moved away from the free content model”. They never followed the “free content model” in the first place (except, perhaps, for brief “introductory trial” periods). The nature of their targeted markets and the expertise of their specialized staffs can command a subscription for on-line readership, just as their print editions can command a higher per issue or subscription price.  Surely you aren’t comparing the local newspaper to the Wall Street Journal, are you???