The New York Times released a new app Wednesday called NYT Opinion for people interested in the newspaper's opinion section.
Unlimited access to the opinion section will be available on the new app as well as on NYTimes.com, according to PC Magazine.
The subscription costs $6 for every four weeks. Home delivery, digital, and Times Premier subscribers will receive the service for free.
"The communal nature of the Internet and the rise of social media have allowed for more vibrant discussion of The Times' opinion pieces," said Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor of The New York Times. "With the introduction of NYT Opinion and the new features we have added to the Opinion section on NYTimes.com we hope to lead more engaged readers to our content and provide an even deeper connection to our columnists and the global conversation."
The new app is the latest move by The New York Times to grow its digital platforms and gain more subscribers, with the newspaper launching NYT Now and Times Premier in March, PC Magazine reported.
The newspaper is using NYT Opinion to turn a specific section into a standalone service. NYT Now, unlike the new app, was used for all sections of the paper, TechCrunch reported.
"As the first standalone digital subscription to focus on one specific content area, NYT Opinion seeks to satisfy those readers who want even more engagement with Times commentary by delivering an incredibly rich user experience rooted in a continuous stream of world-class news analysis on both mobile and on the web," said Dennis Warren, executive vice president, digital products and services, The New York Times.
NYT Opinion contains two sections, the first being "Today," which includes all articles from the Opinion section, as well as blogs from writers and columnists. The section also includes a D&A area that lets columnists and other editorial writers respond to readers' questions and comments. The second section is called "Op-Talk," where a team of editors from the newspaper choose commentary from the Web, according to PC Magazine.
The New York Times is also looking to add another feature to the app called "Follow," which keeps readers up to date with their favorite writers for the publication. The app can also be used to view and post comments. Readers can also use email and Twitter to share articles.
