Publishers Sour on Traffic-Based Bonuses

By: Ricardo Bilton | Digiday

Pay for performance, long a mantra of Corporate America, wormed its way into the ethos of digital media over the past decade. The idea was sound: Publishing is under more than ever, with falling CPMs, so it makes sense to financially reward writers based on the traffic they attract.

But now, some publishers are pulling back on the practice. Gawker, an early proponent, publicly disavowed the practice this month, and Vox asked an acquired site to eschew the practice.