Clearly, when editorial decisions are made, profitability has to be considered. A story's profitability can be determined by asking a few questions:

• How does the story affect the media organization's economic and political interests?
• Will it increase financial profitability (i.e., will the revenues it generates outweigh the costs of research, writing, etc.)?
• If the story is expensive to research and write, would it be acceptable to take shortcuts in order to cut costs?
• Would those shortcuts affect the overall integrity of the story?
• How many people in the target audience will be interested or even captivated?
• Will the story enhance or diminish market share?
• Will the news item help maintain competitiveness (originality of news coverage, advertising revenue, etc.)?
• Will the item complement or offend public taste?