As various schemes for turning online news coverage into money emerge, we’re finally starting to get a clear picture of the most promising ideas.

• “Pay-as-you-go” micropayment plans. I’m not sensing much interest around this one. The idea is that you give your credit card number to one clearinghouse of sorts and cooperating media charge you a few cents for each article you read.
• Charge for the unique coverage. The New York Times couldn’t make this work a few years ago, when they required a subscription to get columns by their stable of famous op-ed writers. But there does seem to be a renewed sense that readers will pay for content they can’t get anywhere else.
• Give away a little, but charge after that. The Financial Times has been doing this for years. They give you one story per month no matter what. If you register but don’t pay, you get 10 free stories. Beyond that, you have to pay.
• Give away part of the story, but require payment to get the whole thing. The Wall Street Journal has been doing this for quite a while, and while it doubtless reduces the number of eyeballs on a story (thus suppressing add revenues), it seems to be working for Rupert Murdoch.