Readers Must Pay to Email the NY Times

Last year, the New York Times put its eight Op-Ed columnists behind a subscription wall called TimesSelect which required readers to pay to access the thoughts of Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman, Frank Rich and the others. Now, the NYT has also decided that only TimesSelect subscribers should be allowed to e-mail its Op-Ed columnists.

It's been contended that the NYT is trying to force people into subscribing. Times spokesman Toby Usnik disputes the contention.