The LA Times says News Corp., headed by Rupert Murdoch, is talking to major media companies including Chron owner Hearst Corp. about forming a consortium that would charge readers for online news. Other companies mentioned in the LA Times piece include the New York Times, Washington Post and Tribune Co. No mention of MediaNews Group, though its chief executive, Dean Singleton, is headed down the same track of charging online readers for news. The article notes, “Analysts are skeptical that any efforts to collect online subscription fees, or even small payments for individual articles, will amount to a significant new source of cash for newspaper publishers.”