Poynter Column Opens Debate On Online Ads

Digital journalist Amy Gahran argues for attention to be paid to the value of targeted online advertisements in her latest Poynter Online column.

The conversational media consultant suggests that offering adverts relevant to accompanying editorial content can enable publishers to improve turnover from digital operations.

“My understanding is that learning to work with and integrate targeted online ad networks … can significantly increase revenue,” states the co-founder of I, Reporter, a training scheme for citizen journalists.

She notes that advertisers are realising that “targeted exposure of their ad to 20,000 site visitors in a context relevant to editorial content probably benefits them far more than shotgun-style, largely irrelevant exposure to the 200,000 circulation of your Sunday paper, or to the overall 100,000 daily visitors to your site”.

Gahran acknowledges reporters’ fears about losing independence but counters that “this approach might even support excellent journalism that otherwise has a hard time making it into the news hole”.

In addition, Gahran reveals that she is embarking on a project to research the issue further and anyone interesting in tracking her progress and finding out more about online ad networks can check out her postings on bookmarking site del.icio.us by following the ad+networks tag.