How Short-Sided Thinking Will Kill Most News Organizations

What Does the USA Today Know that Most News Organizations Don't? The Lessons to Be Learned!

How often do you go to any news website after seeing an interesting headline, click on the story, only to see a :15-:30 second commercial before access to the story? How often do you then click away and find the story somewhere else.

In a poorly thought-out, short-sided panic for revenue, many news organizations think this is how you generate revenue. Hey, it must be good for the bottom line. Message to news organizations: The customer experience needs to come first. 

Go to CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, sometimes they have a story right, most of the time you are required to see a lame commercial before access to the story. Don't do it. You are feeding the beast. You are watching more commercials than you do on traditional TV (which most of us skip with DVR's and TiVo anyway). 

When is it the worst? During "real" breaking news. I can remember during Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco going to local websites to see what was happening only to be bombarded by meaningless commercials first.

Who does it right? USAToday. Want access to the story? Click on the headline. Want to see the video? Click on the headline. 

Message to local and national news organizations: Consumers have choices. You can do better at this in finding revenue streams. Try again.