The website offers the same content as the print edition free of charge, but a survey conducted by managers at the Sun found that around 90,000 readers a day are choosing to read the website instead. Print readership dropped by five per cent during August 2004.
The Observer claims that managers plan to remove most editorial from the site, with only selected story samples to encourage readers to buy the print edition. Page Three, the newspaper's infamous pin up page, is also likely to be withdrawn.
News International, which publishes the Sun, would not comment on the report.
"If the Observer's claims are true, the Sun will need to look at whether they can develop the site in another way to complement, rather than duplicate, the content of the newspaper," said Mike Ward, head of journalism at the University of Central Lancashire.
"It's understandable that they want to focus on stopping the decline of their newspaper sales, but taking out too much content will leave a big hole in the site."
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See also:
Observer coverage: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1302394,00.html
Sun Online: http://www.thesun.co.uk
News International: http://www.newsinternational.com
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