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author | Bradley Taunt <bt@btxx.org> | 2024-07-01 16:23:43 -0400 |
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committer | Bradley Taunt <bt@btxx.org> | 2024-07-01 16:23:43 -0400 |
commit | 088c87bcb58be576308da503d4f11a68843c5013 (patch) | |
tree | 4299b974a40b22fcc9d1d2df0a67810f1e61d50c /_posts/2019-05-29-news-websites-are-dumpster-fires.md |
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diff --git a/_posts/2019-05-29-news-websites-are-dumpster-fires.md b/_posts/2019-05-29-news-websites-are-dumpster-fires.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3edb0ba --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2019-05-29-news-websites-are-dumpster-fires.md @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: "News Websites Are Dumpster Fires" +date: 2019-05-29 +--- + + +Online news outlets are a dying breed and many users have decided to consume information elsewhere. Why? Because the news industry has become a cesspool of anti-consumer and blackhat practices that has eroded trust for the sake of money. + +## What news sites get wrong + +I could write up an entire essay about all the shady practices that *most* news sites are guilty of, but here are just a few top level issues: + +- Clickbait headings with misleading information +- Disabling the user from reading if ad-block is present +- Tracking the user with 3rd party scripts +- Taking massive performance hits (specifically on mobile due to huge JavaScript blocks) +- Pop-up ads +- Fixed headers or footers which leads to harder readability / accidental element interactions + +## But they need ad revenue! + +If your business is solely dependent on tracking scripts, tricking users with clickbait titles and using archaic ads - then you're destined to fail regardless. These practices create an unsafe and unhealthy web for everyday users - not to mention most browsers have announced that future updates [will be blocking ads by default](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/content-blocking). *News outlets need to adapt or die*. + +## What's the solution? + +I don't have a *fix all* band-aid to replace current revenue streams for news websites. I'm sure someone much smarter than I can come up with better ideas, but just off the top of my head: + +- Switch over to a monthly subscription plan (if no one pays for it maybe you weren't as useful of a source as you thought) +- Partner with brands to create sponsored articles (without ruining the user experience of course) +- Place a larger emphasis on user donations or promotions + +## The News Shouldn't be Spam + +Most traffic flowing into news websites are there for one thing: *the content*. News outlets should not be spamming their main revenue supply (**the users**) or misleading people with false information. + +If you're a regular consumer of news and you happen to run across a platform that is guilty of any of these practices, shoot them an email explaining why you won't be returning to their website (unless they change their ways). These anti-consumer practices will only stop when these organizations start losing money. |