Remember the scene in High Saddles when the sheriff installed a toll unit in the middle of the prairie, and all the criminals set up on horseback to pitch a dime in the turnstile rather than ride around the gate? Classic 1974 Mel Brooks; revisited with a twist of 2009 irony. After the You. C. Berkeley Media Technology Smt held at Google yesterday morning, it would appear that some strong voices have moved discussions away from paid content. 'Sell News Online' will never pass the smell test for 95% of news sites because shhhh.... online news is free.

The turnstile gate is up: readers can go through it, around it, over it, and get their news however, whenever, wherever they desire. Individuals are in control, ad servers have voted to spend their dollars elsewhere and media companies perhaps, may be starting to discuss opportunities that scale. But the question remains, will investigative journalism survive the slow, painful adaptation of the media industry?

Interesting that:

Not-for-profit business models like ProPublica are popping up to support investigative journalism.

John Temple's compelling presentation on lessons learned from the Rugged Mountain News included comments that online news needs "more ways for local businesses to reach prospects locally. inch

Ad servers just weren't represented. Used to do not see Associations from Restaurants, Car Companies, Auto Dealers, Convention Centers and certainly small businesses just weren't providing input.

It is interesting that the bread and butter of the media industry, ad servers, are still not asked what they think and how online news may play a role in the advertisers' future. Perhaps now that paid content is on the back burner, (I will make the broad assumption that ad servers just weren't asked about paid content as a business model either), perhaps journalists can do what journalists do: research, investigate and report. Nigerian Newspapers There are many niche categories, industries and geographies that would provide data and perspective, if analyzed. If media firms had reached out and required feedback since 2006 when ad servers begun to leave newspapers, they may be presenting a different history today.

Jesse Smith is a Strategist, Marketer, "If opportunity doesn't affect, build a door" kind of girl... (quote from Milton Berle) Marketing is about generating repeat business with advantageous partners and effective communications. With 20+ years experience writing business plans and marketing strategies, Jesse wishes a Director of Marketing position with a firm that wishes to break away from the pack. An developer, Jesse owns a patent-pending business method for the media industry.