MONTREAL - Media industry insiders are acknowledging that offering free news on the Internet has failed as a business model for traditional journalism outlets.
Karen Dunlap, head of the Poynter Institute, says advertisers are not buying spots on news sites in the way newspapers and broadcasters once hoped.
The institute is a Florida-based journalism resource centre.
Dunlap says traditional media will have to find a new model for generating revenue.
She made the comments while attending a conference in Montreal today on the future of independent media.
John Honderich, chairman of the board of the Toronto Star's parent company, said at the same event that ads have been a disappointment even though the paper's website receives a high degree of traffic.
He says the recent economic downturn has prompted advertisers to seek cheaper ways of reaching customers.
The conference was hosted by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.