As readers of this blog, you are hopefully well aware that the newspaper industry is in a state of disruption. Dave Zeeck's Sunday column explained a few of the changes - mostly cuts - that newspaper readers are seeing these days. It's required reading if you are at all foggy on newspaper economics 101. The bottom line: print subscribers will be getting less product for the same price because advertisers are spending less to appear in the product.

I thought I should take the opportunity to explain what these changes will mean for online readers. Since we don't have to pay for newsprint, ink or trucks to distribute the online news, we aren't under the same pressure to save costs. In fact, the online product will be growing and improving. As advertisers shift their spending to digital products, it's our mission to publish the best local digital news and information product possible, which means more attention and resources for the web site (not less).

It also means you will be seeing more advertising on thenewstribune.com, because we can't make more money to offset those print advertising reductions in revenue without increasing the advertising offerings. You have probably already noticed pop-under ads that appear on your computer when you visit our site. They are set to show only one time per user per 24 hours - if you're seeing more than that, let me know.

We are regularly in discussion with our partners in the advertising department about other new and innovative online advertising products. And you will likely see some of them in the coming months. We will strive to balance the need for new revenue with our users' experience since you can't build an audience by annoying them. I also believe that online readers will appreciate more local advertising on our site (some people only buy the newspaper for the ads, after all), but I'll be surprised if we don't upset some people along the way.

This is part of the evolution in media we are currently living through, which is exciting at times, but not always easy.