It is usually a veteran editor who makes the argument against the “a la carte” news idea. “If readers are allowed to subscribe only to the news they want, they won’t get the news they need,” or so the thinking goes.

The fear is readers will be too independent for their own good. The opposite is true.

Whether it’s Amazon.com, iTunes or TiVo, users always end up more dependent on the service, not less. Amazon.com is well known for suggesting books to customers. TiVo suggests programs it thinks you might like based on what folks like you watch. NetFlix does the same. So does iTunes. All of these are wildly successful modern businesses.

By giving the reader what they want, trust is built. The newspaper that gives its readers choice of content will then be expected to do what it has always done – tell us about stories we didn’t know that we needed to know.

Every subscriber should receive the ‘A’ section, complete with the most important stories of the day. It’s the rest of the alphabet that should be opt-in.

Tomorrow's entry: Create more products