Where skinny dipping meets the skinny on news decisions

I have a pretty good feeling that if I told you this column were about the best places to go skinny dipping in Illinois, you'd be more inclined to read it, even if that activity is not something you're inclined to do.

But I'll be honest. I'm not going to talk much about nude swimming. I'm going to talk about news decisions and appeals for your attention. Skinny dipping will figure into the discussion.

Let me explain.

Every news planning meeting of Daily Herald editors begins with a review of our content appeal that is both instructive and dicey.

Editors are given a quick rundown of which of our stories have attracted the most attention online in recent hours, the numbers of readers who have opened each of those stories and, often, an average of how long they've stayed with it, giving an indication of how long the story kept readers' interest.

These analyses help us determine the kinds of stories we should report and how best to follow them in order to best meet reader interest. It is a useful guide for managing stories in print as well as online.

But they also carry a risk that is as old as journalism itself.

If our objective is to be a good community citizen, as well as a popular source of information and entertainment, which ours is, there will almost always be a tug-of-war between what excites readers' curiosity and what helps them better understand each other and the state of our communities, state, nation and world.

Before the advent of the web, this conflict was most evident, especially for broadcast outlets and print outlets that relied heavily on single-copy sales rather than paid circulation, as it involved stories about crime, corruption, sex appeal and famous people. All those subjects continue to attract high numbers of readers online, though interestingly we have found that stories about food and restaurants are also have unusually reliable appeal.

In the parlance of the past, these types of stories are supposedly what "sell newspapers." In the context of the online world, they're the ones that "attract eyeballs" and can tempt managers to seek profits by "chasing clicks."

The pressure for following that path can be daunting - and the results can vie for your attention in subtle, surprising, at times even humorous ways.

Enter skinny dipping.

We receive solicitations daily from agencies and websites hoping we will tempt you with stories that will in turn send your eyeballs to their business or Web pages.

One of the more, well, eyebrow raising of these recently was a site that described what it called "a comprehensive study comparing over 800 beaches in the U.S. across various categories, including beach quality, safety, weather, and accommodation options."

"Illinois," the release said, "has proven to be a perfect destination for adventurous individuals seeking unforgettable skinny-dipping experiences." And it went on to list 13 sites, including Lake Michigan and two state parks, from Chain O' Lakes to Mattoon that "adventurous individuals" might want to try.

And the kicker? This appeal came from a dating website.

I suppose some of you already are scolding me for not giving the details of this website, but I'm going to have to be satisfied for the moment by just informing you that exists. I'm sure if you're so inclined, you can readily find it yourself.

My broader motive is to note that there are many stories like this that we know could attract readers, but that for reasons of credibility, subject matter or questionable sourcing, we decide not to cover.

Among some other topics seeking our, and thus your, attention:

• Where Illinois ranks according to obsessions with haunted houses, based on a site's analysis of online searches;

• The states best set to handle increased use of cryptocurrency;

• The most popular road-trip destinations in the United States;

• States and cities with the highest interest in breakfast restaurants;

• Cities that have the most postgame bars and pubs for sports fans;

• Cities with best amenities for coffee lovers;

• Cities ranked as the best alternative romantic destinations in America.

I could go on, but you get the picture. You surely have seen many similar appeals sprinkled in ads designed to look like news stories on almost every website, including ours, with temptations like "Check out the fattest superstars in Hollywood (No. 4 will floor you)" or "Five secrets that only rich people know" and so on.

A newspaper, or any information and entertainment outlet, is constantly working to find its own balance between what Hosea Paddock famously called "fearing God, telling the truth and making money." Sometimes, alas, at least for the Daily Herald, skinny dipping doesn't quite make the grade.

• Jim Slusher, jslusher@dailyherald.com, is managing editor for opinion at the Daily Herald.