First the Star Tribune, now the St. Cloud Times will wall off some online content to non-subscribers.

Details are sketchy, but News&Tech reports the Times is one of six Gannett Co. newspapers that will debut a pay wall in 2012. The mega-chain has 82 daily papers, and the latest increase will bring the number of pay walled products to nine.

These days, pay walls don't necessarily mean non-subcribers are blocked entirely. In the Strib's case, freeloaders can see the home page and up to 20 stories a month.

When Gannett's Tallahassee Democrat debuted its paywall in 2010, it made its section fronts and classifieds free, while charging $10 a month for online subscriptions, or $15 with an electronic replica of the paper. Print subscribers get the web stuff at no added charge.

Gannett's Greenville, S.C. and St. George, Ut. papers have the same $10-15 a month rate, though varying prices for print delivery.

Other Minnesota papers limit the ability of non-payers to read full stories, including the Rochester Post-Bulletin, which posts free synopses.

I have calls into St. Cloud, and will update with details as I get them.