Poll position: No way we won't pay

Regional - Our readers have convincingly trounced the concept of having to pay for online news content as announced by News Corp's Rupert Murdoch, who, in the face of the slow agonising death of newspapers, brought home by a reported 47% decline in his quarterly profits, thinks it's time his readers paid up for online content.

A whopping 90% of the 329 readers who completed the poll said they would not pay for online news content while 9% seemed to think it was fair enough and voted yes while 2% clicked other and added responses.

Those who offered other responses had clearly thought about the question with one suggesting they would be comfortable with "maybe a very low annual subscription" but added "otherwise no".

Another reader said they would "pay for print", while another agreed saying "only if they sent me a printed version too".

There was also the pragmatic answer "not from him if others offer it at no cost".

A fair minded answer from one reader stated "I'd consider paying for premium, targeted content" and with Murdoch now in possession of his much coveted Wall Street Journal after his epic pursuit - he might now consider that that is exactly what he is offering readers. 

New poll starts today - check it out on the left hand side of the front page later this afternoon.