The paper will list a variety of stories for election, from national to entertainment news, and the paper's managing editor Tim Kelley said that the most popular article "typically will appear on the front page."

A similar project was undertaken by a paper in Chile in 2004. Las Ultimas Noticias, a struggling top-end paper, began following stories based on the click-count they received on the paper's website. Stories that received many clicks were assigned reporters, and those with few were dropped. This strategy resulted in many fluff stories being covered and the paper became filled with celebrities and "scantily clad girls."

The Chilean example may be a product of extreme circumstances; considering the political dictatorship the country lived under for so long, the public desires the things it was denied for so long.

The Wisconsin daily's editor Kelley remained confident that his paper would not succumb to such "tabloidization" reassuring readers, "We aren't too worried that you'll be scribbling up our first draft of history with Paris Hilton's daily exploits. Our unscientific poll is just another way for you to tell us what you find to be the most important, interesting or vital information of the day."    

A critic at the paper's rival doubted the project's success, noting that the audience for the print and online versions was different, and thus, print readers may not be interested in the front page story chosen by online readers.

Another critic, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, James Baughman, gave the paper the benefit of the doubt saying, "They've got to try something to capture readers. Ten or 20 years ago I would probably be more dismissive but they are trying to reinvent the enterprise." 

Source: Editor & Publisher