The Pros And Cons Of Online Advertising

One of the most important aspects of mass media is media’s reliance on advertisers. Advertising is a main source of income for most media companies, especially websites and television stations. However, in recent years, programs and software have been released to “block” ads so that the consumer does not have to see them, and media companies have learned to combat this with their own methods. Online advertisements also can lead to many problems in online journalism. Although convenient for the consumer, ad blockers, as they are called, actually hurt mass media companies by restricting payout from advertisers.

Ad blocking is a technology that stops advertisements from appearing on websites or screens on the internet before they can appear (Simple

When a page is loading with advertisements, it typically takes longer to load than one without them; ads require more bandwidth and rendering to transmit than a page that is “clean” (Simple Adblock) Security risks that result ads from with everyday online activity are malware, consumer abuse, and exposure to third party websites (Levin and McCain 7-8). It is commonly known that consumers are beginning to get tired of seeing ads—they would rather see quality content—so they begin looking for ways to avoid them.

In recent years, mass media has shifted its focus from newsprint and television to online reporting. This is convenient for viewers and even the news companies; however, it does pose an issue of revenue. It is easier for media companies to guarantee and sell ads to other companies in newspapers and TV because viewers cannot skip them, but on the internet, companies have begun to sell space on websites for ads. But with the rise of ad blocking software, these ads are not getting generated and the news companies do not make as much

While there is nothing wrong with attracting viewers to a web site, many companies end up relying on clickbait in order to get views and ad revenue. Merriam-Webster defines clickbait as “online material designed to make readers want to click on hyperlinks especially when the links lead to content of dubious value or interest” (Merriam-Webster). Media companies are now beginning to create titles that “hook” the reader into clicking—or tapping—the link; many times the titles are often deceptive, losing trust with the viewer. Sørensen has said that online journalism is becoming a "race to the bottom" to generate page views (O