Ad Blocking Poses a Growing Challenge to Media Companies - American Journalism Review

The same report found the number of people blocking ads on Google Chrome increased 96 percent from midyear 2013 to midyear 2014, and the number blocking ads using Firefox rose 21 percent.

It felt like the web was getting better a few years ago, at least when it came to ads. They were getting more tasteful and less obtrusive. Now I go the The Next Web and the entire site is pushed off screen so I can see an ad. The AV Club makes me wait 30 seconds before I can read an article. The Verge routinely has video ads that auto play and take over the site.

I fully support creative people making money on their work, but even I recently installed an ad blocker. I let most sites display ads, but a short blacklist keeps some sites (like the ones mentioned above) tolerable. I'm really not happy about it. Ugh.

Aaaaaaand at the same time, this is what content producers have to do to break even. It's not like they are oil companies who are swimming in profits, they're scraping by in most cases. These terrible ads exist so they can bring in a little more money and they can pay their staff.

It's a tough balance to reach and I feel for publishers, but I don't blame anyone who has an ad blocker running right now.