It’s been announced that the L.A. Times is going with a paywall on March 5th. Meaning that if I want to continue to read film industry coverage by Patrick Goldstein, Steven Zeitchik Nicole Sperling and John Horn on a wide-open basis, I’ll have to cough up (a) $1.99 per week in a package that also includes the Sunday newspaper (which is a no-go — the idea of that all-but-worthless mass of tree pulp being dropped on my doorstep every Sunday is repulsive) or (b) digital-only access at $3.99 per week. Online access will be included gratis for print subscribers.

That couldn’t be $3.99 per month, could it? Naaah.

In my mind the L.A. Times is a moribund and unnecessary thing save for the output of the above. I’m honestly not sure if I’m inclined to pay $16 a month and change to receive it. I might, grudgingly, but I’ll probably just use the free-access option (i.e., up to 15 stories a month) and take my chances.

What would Mitt Romney say? “Let it die!”