News Corp dumps newsstand project

News Corp has dropped a project to design a digital newsstand that would help online publishers charge for digital content, new reports suggest.

The Wall Street Journal, owned by News Corp, has reported the “Project Alesia” plan was originally designed to allow content creators to sell to users on iPads and other devices.

News Corp told the publication that the project did not attract a “critical mass” of publishers. The report also suggested over 100 people were working on the project.

The report comes as separate reports suggest tech giant Apple is working on its own type of digital newsstand.