You saw this?
What I didn't say is that the pieces I mentioned, I'm sure, got tons of internet traffic, but that's not what pays the bills, right? (At least at newspapers.) It's still the folks who plop a quarter into the honor box or walk down to the end of the driveway to grab the paper, and the advertisers who pay to reach them.
I'm in favor of growing online fan clubs and branding yourself and doing whatever possible to generate buzz and draw more traffic to stories online. Every little bit helps. But until the business model changes, shouldn't we waste more energy trying to excite the man in the robe with the paper product in his driveway than fostering followers in Kansas?
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