Several studies have shown that an overwhelming percentage of people who typically eat at fast food restaurants do so not because of food taste, but out of convenience. It's easy, it's quick, it's right there in front of you.

This same thought occurred to me when when I recently read an old 2003 interview in Rolling Stone magazine with Steve Jobs about the burgeoning online music industry. At the time, Jobs argued that the reason why people illegally downloaded so much music back then was not always because they were too cheap to buy it, but rather it was just far to convenient to download a song and instantly having it on your music device. The only alternative was to go to the store, buy a CD, and record or "rip" the CD on to your computer. I think history has shown he was right.

So, the question I have is: how can we take these ideas to help the news industry make money? Online news prevails over print not because people hate newspapers; it's just easier to read it online. Many people are use computers at their jobs or for leisure (read: myspace, facebook) when they get home. It's natural to want to get the news from a computer as well.

But when we talk about making money from Web sites, things aren't so easy. Craigslist made is simple for people to post classifieds. I was shocked when I found out that there are still lots of newspapers that require you to call a person in order to post a classified. Even sites that do allow you to post a classified online make it difficult. You are required to create an account, many times from a third-party vendor. Terrible. Just go to Craigslist, it's easier.

People in society or busy (or lazy, depending who you ask). While the industry is consumed with talking about business models and profit margins, I would like it to take a step back and ask the question: what do I enjoy when it comes to getting news? Most of the time, the result is the path of least resistance.

A few years back, I once thought about posting an online ad on a newspaper Web site when I ran a side business as a Wedding photographer. I realized that the process was far too complex and ultimately I didn't bother. At the time, I didn't make the connection that newspapers – just maybe – could be making a whole lot more money if they would simply the process.

I wonder how much of a part convenience played the very reason people started getting newspapers on computer in the first place. Although the following video is not directly related to this topic, I think it's an interesting place to post it in case you are one of the few that hasn't seen it before. This is a 1981 KRON news report about an experiment in the Bay Area to put the newspaper on a computer.

(Image from Wikipedia free commons)