In the United States reporters who specialise in salacious online journalism may get cash rewards from their grateful bosses if their stories light up the Internet.
Gannet, the owner of the lucrative USA Today and a leading newspaper publisher in the UK, is considering special bonuses for reporters whose articles register high numbers of clicks and attract online advertising.
But as everyone knows it is gossip, sex and celebrity stories that drive web traffic, so is this another nail in the coffin of quality journalism? Reporters and editors rightly worry who will cover budget deficits, social policy stories, and political intrigue when editorial cash prizes only go to the glamour and glitz end of journalism.
This attempt by traditional media to bolster profits in a failing market follows the lead of gossip-peddling web sites which have pioneered this approach. A similar scheme was introduced by the Gawker web site three years ago when bloggers were paid bonuses of up to US$7,000 when they registered 1.4 million page views.
Many journalists oppose this but some industry leaders and academics are shameless in their efforts to promote models of profitable online journalism, even at the expense of newsroom standards. Columbia University, for instance, recommends that journalists should “gain a fuller appreciation for how advertisers now reach their customers.” The message is clear -- get down and dirty if you want to rack up the clicks, and the bonuses that go with it.
Gannet, the owner of the lucrative USA Today and a leading newspaper publisher in the UK, is considering special bonuses for reporters whose articles register high numbers of clicks and attract online advertising.
But as everyone knows it is gossip, sex and celebrity stories that drive web traffic, so is this another nail in the coffin of quality journalism? Reporters and editors rightly worry who will cover budget deficits, social policy stories, and political intrigue when editorial cash prizes only go to the glamour and glitz end of journalism.
This attempt by traditional media to bolster profits in a failing market follows the lead of gossip-peddling web sites which have pioneered this approach. A similar scheme was introduced by the Gawker web site three years ago when bloggers were paid bonuses of up to US$7,000 when they registered 1.4 million page views.
Many journalists oppose this but some industry leaders and academics are shameless in their efforts to promote models of profitable online journalism, even at the expense of newsroom standards. Columbia University, for instance, recommends that journalists should “gain a fuller appreciation for how advertisers now reach their customers.” The message is clear -- get down and dirty if you want to rack up the clicks, and the bonuses that go with it.
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