Trinity Mirror is reportedly exploring plans to prevent readers of its websites from using ad-blocking software.
The publisher is understood to be looking into ways of stopping online readers from using the software, which blocks advertising on their iPhones and iPads.
Trinity Mirror has declined to comment on the reports, which surfaced in yesterday’s edition of The Times.
The national daily claims that unnamed sources at the company Trinity Mirror have confirmed the plans.
Ad-blocking apps are seen as a threat to many newspaper publishers, who rely on advertising so they can give away their online content for free.
The Times quoted an unnamed newspaper executive as saying: “Forget the arrival of Buzzfeed, this is potentially the biggest threat to our industry.”
Ad-blockers have risen dramatically in popularity since Apple last month launched its new operating system, which allows its customers to download the software for the first time, to prevent adverts interfering with their usage of websites.
The Washington Post is among the publishers who have fought back, with the title preventing people from reading content if they are using ad-blocking software.
Its readers are intermittently redirected to a subscription page if they are using ad-blockers and are also asked to disable the software so they can read content.
A Trinity Mirror spokeswoman said the company was not issuing any statement about the reports.
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At a time when regionals are desperate to get site visitors and will go to almost any length to run pieces to get click bait it’s a risky strategy to try to nullify ad blockers. Personally since installing ad blockers I have a better user experience without the annoyance of pop up or intrusive ads appearing mid story i am reading.
Therefore the site in question better be an essential or “must read• one or thoroughly engaging for me to continue with it which looking at the regional daily sites in my experience are anything but which could well mean fewer people visiting the pages and staying.
If they install anti blockers they’d better up their game big time to attract site visitors as currently the sites are generally dreadful so whilst I accept that the editors are only interested in grabbing digital ad revenues I’d have thought anything they can do to get people looking at them ought to be envisaged not prevented
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* encouraged ( not envisaged)
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Newspaper websites are among the worst examples of obtrusive ads. They are also extensively use third-party tracking and third-party supplied advertising that isn’t fully checked and has spread malware in the past.
Now companies are upset that readers (who increasing use mobile devices) have had enough of this sluggish experience that uses up their data allowances and evades their privacy?
The game of cat and mouse will just continue when people discover the software that blocks the scripts that block the adblockers.
Then what? paywalls? They’ve proved such a success so far.
Google Contributor could be a solution, but most people haven’t heard of it, and people who see free as the standard are unlikely to starting reaching into their pockets.
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Traditional, old school publishers attempting to push back the tide of technology yet again. When will they ever learn?
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Can someone invent a clickbait blocker?
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This is ultimately a battle that the publishers cannot win. Many people don’t like the ads. If they can’t block the ads, they will go elsewhere.
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I love my ad-blocking software much more than I love any Trinity Mirror wbsite. After all, it is by bandwith and I pay for it.
If you are so convinced your sites are so good – man up and put them behind pay-walls.
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Anyone know a good blocker to block the block on ad blockers?
Though why should reading local news be any less a miserable experience than watching commercial TV these days with its ever longer, more frequent ad breaks?
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Nothing worse than being encouraged to watch a video of, sometimes, particularly hard news coverage and being forced to wait while some ad for skin cream/DIY/etc etc, often featuring a pathetic attempt at puerile humour, plays first.
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A terrible idea – I can guarantee if they try to block the blockers that it will start a technological arms race – and I bet the ad blocking companies will win. It would be like a red rag to a bull. The reason companies like Apple and Google are developing these ideas is because people are demanding them – and do you really think the newspaper groups have a better team of developers on their side?
And even if they manage to stop the ad blockers, people will much simpler solutions – such as copying and pasting huge chunks of copy to Facebook. Then I guess they’ll put in technological solutions to stop people copying and pasting – which people will get round by screenshotting.
Whatever solution you put in – people will get around it.
Maybe I’m naive but why don’t they look at the basic issue which is implementing less aggressive advertising solutions.
I’m sure users tolerate some level of advertising, but it’s just that the current level on some websites is just absurd.
It might impact on advertising income, but there needs to be a balance between the advertising and usability.
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No reader has ever liked the ads, whether in print or online. People always used to complain to me that there were “too many adverts” in the paper, but at least they could ignore them while they read the bits you wanted to see. Today, however, some websites, particularly those operated by Local World, pop them up filling the whole screen just as your oh-so-slow broadband speed has finally got round to loading the story you wanted to read – which is one reason why it was so slow in the first place) And sometimes it won’t let you get rid of it. Moreover, I have to pay BT for the privilege of watching a video for…what? …shavers?…cars?.
You will note from this that I haven’t yet soared into the dizzy heights of smartphones, (my eyes aren’t up to those little screens any more) but I guess the experience must be several times worse.
There is a solution , though, and it’s not paywalls. It’s simple good manners. Run your ads down the side of the stories, just like newspapers, or at the bottom – don’t force them on to the reader’s attention. He’ll still notice them better than he did on paper. (I might add that most newspaper websites do this most of the time – guess they’re cheaper to produce & load). On smartphones, use them as static story breaks, perhaps? Just as long as they don’t pop up & prevent you reading what you wanted to. That’s just rude – and counter-productive.
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Perhaps, rather than initiating such methods which would alienate even more visitors to their websites (and therefore push more people away from their brand), the newspaper groups should instead be asking themselves WHY users feel the need to implement the ad blockers in the first place.
I don’t currently use ad blockers (never have) as I appreciate that most sites that carry advertising do so to make a living/find the website costs so don’t begrudge seeing the odd advert. However, many of the regional newspaper websites are getting to the point where they are unusable due to the volume and type of intrusive advertising now appearing on them.
My recent experiences of trying to read articles on the Local World websites in particularly have been frustrating to say the least. The pages take an age to load anyway and then, once they do, within seconds, the article is covered by an overlay ad. (Normally with some Mensa-esque puzzle to figure out how to close it). It’s often the same ad that I’ve seen and dismissed multiple times previously so I’m clearly not interested in it so what’s the value in showing it me again anyway – it does nothing for brand awareness of the advertiser other than create resentment towards them. The ones where you have to wait a number of seconds before dismissing it are even more annoying!
When you do finally get back to the article, there are then the annoying video ads within the article which open and close seemingly at random and at such a slow pace that you’ll be halfway through reading an article and it starts moving up or down the page.
And finally at the end of the article, the ‘joy’ of the syndicated content panels offering me such quality journalistic treats such as “10 body language mistakes you don’t realize you’re making”!
The worst experience though is by far when viewing on mobiles. I’ve had times where I’ve been taken completely away from the site, without any permission or action from myself, to install an app of some sort. The sort of behaviour you expect from more dubious websites on the web. not from a supposedly trustworthy source such as your local newspaper.
The sad fact is that the only way the regional press seem to know how to make any revenue from their websites at present is purely on ad impression volume. (and it’s been the same for 10 years). Forget whether they are actually relevant to the audience or not. Forget whether there’s even the slightest chance of any ads being clicked (on purpose anyway). Just get the ads out there for the 0.001p per impression that they’ll deliver.
So surely rather than investing time and money in trying to combat the ad blocking software, by far the more productive answer for all concerned would be to spend the time more wisely reconsidering the question of how the groups can make better revenue from their sites without annoying/harassing their online readers?
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John Newton, you will go far.
Just not in Local World with that kind of subversive talk.
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All very well having an erudite debate about the juxtaposition of advertising and news content online but HAVE YOU SEEN OUR TOP TEN PICTURES OF CATS WHO LOOK LIKE MEMBERS OF THE TORY FRONT BENCH?!!
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Loco Worlder – sad to say, I’d probably click on that
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No I haven’t, Loco Worlder.
Could you post the link please.
Thanks,
Glen
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Lots of long answers to a simple solution
People will vote with their feet and turn away from the sites that attempt to block ad blockers then they’ll be back to square one trying to get site visitors
And so the circle of chaos in regional press continues
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It still beats me why anyone would want to advertise in a newspaper or on a webpage – what percentage of readers actually look at them? Not me for a start. Advertisers are wising up to this and reaching out to customers themselves on social media. Another nail in the coffin.
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You can measure a regional media company’s true appreciation of the value of editorial content online by how intrusive their ad proposition is. See Local World.
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