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Serious question, especially to those concerned with monetizing a web site, and to the print media in general. What does a site like DU offer that makes it such a draw to me? I have a couple of news apps on my iPhone, and I use them, but when I'm looking for the absolute latest news, DU has it first. It is (LBN in particular) an aggregate of news sources, posted in real-time by people from all over the country -- and the world, actually.
LBN invariably has news stories posted before the "news" sites, and I can find them all in one spot. My wife uses a sarcastic, snarky "Oh, because you read it on DU?" retort when we disagree on political stuff. But she totally misses the point, and the function of DU, and why it works, why it makes me want to pay for it when I don't pay for any other online services except a Cafe Press account. Because DU not only provides me with current news from a variety of sources, if I want to I can read what people say about the news stories and I can comment. Without having to log in to seventeen different web sites and be subjected to their e-spam.
I don't know how this helps traditional newspapers like the NYT, currently pushing a paid subscription service. Why should I bother with them? DU let's me pay what and when I want to, or not at all. There is interaction. There are lots of posts, but not unmanageable (try following a DCCC or Media Matters thread on Facebook). There are links aplenty so I can check sources for myself. Frankly, no newspaper or news site I know of offers so much content in such a well designed, easy to use site. NYT and even Mr. Murdoch could learn a thing or two here.
Oh, wait...except for that DU needs sources like the NYT and traditional news outlets for much of its content. Damn.
:shrug:
Thanks, Skinner, Elad and Dave. Happy to help out.
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