"We must be alarmingly enterprising, and we must be startlingly original …and do new and striking things which constitute a revolution."
— William Randolph Hearst

When William Randolph Hearst assumed ownership of the San Francisco Examiner in 1887, newspaper publishing was still a rather sleepy affair. By 1898, the juiced-up Examiner–with its eye-catching headlines, punchy writing and taste for sensational stories–was changing world history. Hearst and rival publisher Joseph Pulitzer were outdoing one another with lurid stories of the Cuban revolution, whipping American readers and Washington politicians into a righteous frenzy that culminated in the Spanish-American War.

Such blatant war mongering, let alone any kind of overt intervention in current events, would be unthinkable among modern-day newspaper publishers, who largely hew to a more stringent code of ethics than the first generation of Hearsts and Pulitzers. But what about the Web? Surely there are rollicking, rule-breaking pioneers online, unfettered by the small-minded constraints of print publishing?

Guess again. For the most part, Web publishers and writers have even more scruples about news making than their ink-stained print colleagues. With few exceptions, Web journalists are loath to dirty their hands in any kind of worldly business, abstaining from almost all commerce, politics, moral stands and indeed any kind of controversy. (The prominent exceptions–Matt Drudge springs to mind–are roundly shunned by the rest of the Web publishing world. It’s notable, however, that Drudge continues to claim millions of page views per day.)

We should all be grateful that MSNBC.com isn’t goading the Clinton administration into war with some foreign power. But just the same, I can’t help but think that online content producers are being too timid about examining, and perhaps reworking, the guidelines they inherited from the print world. Web content is no more or less sacred than print.

Take, for instance, the debate over commercializing online content. According to conventional wisdom, adding e-commerce to a content site undermines the site’s credibility. If you run a review of a book, and include a link to buy the book, readers will assume that nothing more than a desire to sell copies of that book motivates your review.

Please. First of all, this view is patronizing in its assumption that Web readers are unsophisticated and suspicious. In fact, Web readers are–of necessity–very skilled at evaluating online content, sniffing out its biases and comparing it with similar content elsewhere on the Web. A commerce link alone will not undermine the reputation of a review; to do that, you need an unscrupulous and biased reviewer.

The anti-commerce position is also hypocritical. Many of the sites that so puritanically refuse e-commerce are making their money from selling online ads. In some cases, payments for advertising depend on whether or not qualified potential customers click on the ads. CNET, for instance, scrupulously avoids selling products that it reviews, but is paid for referring customers to retailers who sell the reviewed products. This differs from e-commerce in the same way that laundered money differs from cash stolen from the bank.

In any event, the debate may soon be moot, as the difference between online advertising and merchandising disappears. Online ads are increasingly targeted to specific content and they’re getting more interactive. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be reading a printer review and see a banner ad above it that includes an order form to buy the printer. It might be called advertising, but it’s really e-commerce.

As Hearst well understood, publishing is a business and, if it’s done right, it can be very profitable. In the end, there are really only two legitimate business models for Web content publishers: Embrace e-commerce or reject all forms of it–including advertising–and start applying for grants from the NEA.

But don’t misunderstand. This integration of e-commerce also means that, whether you are a publisher or an e-tailer, your Web content will have to stand on its own merits. First, you need to earn the trust of readers by producing content that’s free from bias. You also need to demonstrate editorial independence: Take strong positions, address controversial topics, and ensure that manufacturers, resellers or advertisers do not control your content. You should also keep the content and e-commerce sections of your Web pages separate, just as advertisements now appear in a contained space and are not embedded within editorial content.

Web content producers can take other pages from Hearst’s book and stop being so timid about commerce, controversy and colorful writing. Online content is a business, but that doesn’t mean it has to be dull. P

Dylan Tweney is a writer and content consultant in San Mateo, Calif.