THE NEW York Times, London's Financial Timesand the Guardian(not to mention this venerable organ) have all taken the plunge and posted their content on the Web.
The subscription model (where readers pay to view newspaper content online) simply doesn't drive enough traffic to the sites to satisfy newspapers' real paymasters - the advertisers. Or so received wisdom on such matters goes.
But not at Alpha Newspaper Group, the regional titles owned by Lord Kilclooney (formerly the Ulster Unionist politician John Taylor) . The group, which owns 23 local papers, has put the lot online - for a fee mind you.
Richard Baker, general manager at one of Alpha's two divisions in the North, says the group's two linked sites (one is www.ulsternet.co.uk, covering Northern Ireland titles, and the other www.irelandnet.ie, covering titles in the Republic) have had "tens of thousands" of hits in the 10 days since going online.
Hits have come from as far afield as Australia, New York and "throughout" Europe, Baker says. "It is early days, but the level of interest which has been achieved without any marketing or advertising has exceeded our initial expectations." But how many of the diaspora eager to find out the latest news from Ballyclare or Athlone have taken out subscriptions? Around 50, says Baker.
It could be quite a while before Alpha can hope to get as many people reading its online version as the 150,000 now reading the real thing.
