明年上半年开始，星巴克会员 （Starbucks loyalty members）将可以在星巴克的APP中读到包括纽约时报在内的诸多媒体的新闻。
纽约时报 CEO 马克·汤普生昨天在一份声明中说，“This is another in a series of arrangements we have made recently in order to ensure that The Times continues to expand the reach of our journalism to new and interesting pools of readers.” 的确，孤立地看，这事没有多大意思。在一个拥有数以百万计用户的企业的APP上发布一些要闻，显然可以收取一些授权费用，提高能见度，但是，这不过是一个企业的非新闻应用，并不能指望其给纽约时报带来多大的流量，甚至，还可能冲击纽约时报本身的数字订阅。
不过，结合纽约时报今年以来签出的一系列在其他平台（比如 Facebook Instant Articles 、苹果News）上直接发布新闻的动作，以及其自己的旗舰APP NYT Now 收费改免费看，纽约时报的分发战略似乎正在发生某种变化。原来以计量付费墙为界固守围城的模式，将变得更为开放？这种开放，是被FB、苹果等大技术平台的坚船利炮轰开了大门，还是自我反省之后的主动选择？时间会给出结论。
在国内一些学者大声疾呼建立付费墙以拯救报业的背景下，纽约时报的这一选择，看起来就更有意思了。
Some New York Times Articles to Appear Free on Starbucks App
By SYDNEY EMBER JULY 21, 2015
Starbucks and The New York Times Company announced on Tuesday that certain news articles would be made available free to members of the Starbucks loyalty program through the Starbucks mobile app.
Beginning in the first half of next year, Starbucks loyalty members will be able to read daily and weekend briefings from The Times, as well as other articles recommended by Starbucks, using the coffee company’s mobile app.
“We have enjoyed a long and fruitful association with Starbucks, and we’re delighted that this agreement will further extend our digital relationship,” Mark Thompson, the chief executive of The New York Times Company, said in a statement. “This is another in a series of arrangements we have made recently in order to ensure that The Times continues to expand the reach of our journalism to new and interesting pools of readers.”
The agreement represents another way The Times is trying to connect with readers, who are increasingly receiving news on mobile devices and online. Recently, for example, The Times, along with several other publishers, agreed to let Facebook directly host “instant articles.”
In a statement, Howard Schultz, the chief executive of Starbucks, said, “We see a future in which the Starbucks retail experience seamlessly extends to the mobile devices our millions of customers carry with them every day.”
“Our relationship with The New York Times is the perfect example of bringing this vision to life,” he added.
Over time, Starbucks plans to recommend articles from other media outlets as well, according to a news release.
As part of the agreement, Starbucks loyalty members will also be able to earn reward points with the purchase of digital or print subscriptions to The Times.
