USAToday is running a story about a Chilean newspaper web site where readers determine which stories are followed-up on.

If a certain story gets a lot of clicks, for example, that is a signal to Edwards and his team that the story should be followed up, and similar ones should be sought for the next day. If a story gets only a few clicks, it is killed. The system offers a direct barometer of public opinion, much like the TV rating system but unique to print media.

The fear of course is that the paper will turn into more of a tabloid, than a resource for news. In many ways it is.

None of the LUN correspondents have news beats anymore, rather, they compete one against the other. Edwards says he will start financial incentives, with salaries reflecting the monthly clicks each reporter accrues.

The other issue I see is abuse of the system. There have been stories of phantom clicks.

low cost workers in India, China and other countries are hired to boost traffic for online ads by clicking on text links, banners etc.

The scenario would be to drive clicks to a positive story about your product/client or drive clicks to a negative story about your competition. Thereby keeping the story alive through a few more news cycles.

Update: I posted a follow-up today, Readers predicting stories, MicroPersuasion also picked up on the Chilean paper.