The first steps toward a free, open Wall Street Journal online have been taken by News Corp., reports Reuters.

The paper now offers its opinion and editorial pieces online for free. Regular news content will continue to be available only to paid subscribers. Also available on the WSJ's site will be a series of videos from sister outlet Fox News.

While speculation has run strongly along the lines of News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch's eventually making the whole site free, he and others have been reluctant to tip their hands.

A report from Bear Stearns analyst Spencer Wang just recently said the Journal would need to attract 12 times its current online audience to make up in ads what it would lose from subscriptions.