Major U.S. papers launch online paid news service

A personalized news service funded by New York Times Co., Washington Post Co ., and Gannett Co launched Tuesday in an attempt to get readers to pay for online news. Ongo, which received $12-million in funding from the three newspaper publishers, delivers news from a variety of sources starting at $7 a month. The basic subscription plan includes articles from the Associated Press, the Washington Post, USA Today and select stories from the New York Times and Pearson PLC’s Financial Times. Users can add titles, such as the Guardian and the Detroit Free Press, for 99 cents a month for each additional source. Ongo’s layout hews closely to print with stories presented in several columns, although it is accessed through web browsers, smart phones and tablets.