THE ONION - Fake News, Real Ads

Brian Cridge, head of online advertising

The Onion has started charging for access to its site. As justification for this move, the online fake news source sited the rising costs of paper, printing presses, gasoline, and other archaic operational costs, as having an adverse effect on the production and distribution chain. Also, The Onion simply could not fit enough ads for the new Scion tC on every page, or make them big enough, to support continued free access. Brian Cridge, head of online advertising, expressed his frustrations at not being able to fill 100% of the The Onion with ads for the sporty and customizable Scion tC. He was also disappointed that he could not rename The Onion, The Scion tC. "You know, if these fake journalists would take their heads out of the clouds, I could make this rig a shit ton of money. These fake journalists think their fake news is so important? How does fake news pay the bills? I'll see those assholes in line at the soup kitchen while I roll by in my pimped out Scion tC with the 4-piece aero kit. Cha-ching!"

Sheri Nugal, online delivery team lead

It is unclear how an audience who is accustomed to reading and sharing fake news stories freely will react to paying for their fake news content. Sheri Nugal, The Onion's online delivery team lead, defended the move by pointing out that people on the internet have a long, documented history of wanting to pay for information that's on the internet. “We’ll be fine,” the team lead confidently stated, “just fine.” With the ability to freely share articles, The Onion has grown tremendously through social networking; however, by inserting gatekeepers and restricted access to those same articles, The Onion hopes to maintain its social media momentum through the power of ancient magic and praying.

Ultimately, the move towards a pay-site makes sense because The Onion provides a valuable service not offered anywhere else on the internet. Known for its factual and truthful nature, the internet has yet to deliver another reliable source for things that are fake and entertaining that could rival The Onion. In this environment of primacy, The Onion's move stands as a bold one sure to corner the "stuff on the internet that is fake, mildly amusing, and easy to share because it is free, but now you have to pay for it instead of just finding one of a myriad of free alternatives" market. Bold indeed.