(Vivian Vahlberg)

If you're tired of hearing that news content is only a commodity in the new-media world, take heart. Two major British online publishers say it isn't so: content is still king.

Zach Leonard, digital media publisher at The Times of London, told a World Association of Newspapers' conference that for The Times, "content is still king." It's what the public wants and it's what keeps visitors coming and staying on the site, he said.

Content remains at the core of what his company is doing in the new- media world; "It's all about great journalism in the case of The Times," he said. He noted that while a quarter to a half of his sites' traffic comes from search engines like Google, the quality of the content keeps them there longer than at portals.

Pete Clifton, head of BBC News Interactive, agreed.

"What a great time to be involved in our business!" he exclaimed. With constant change and new opportunities all the time, with a multitude of choice, "quality content will still be king," he said. The future may not be clear but the message is: seize those opportunities, he said.

Leonard also said talk of the demise of the so-called mainstream media is "far more fiction than fact." Publishers have "great opportunities to seize" and "a lot more potential to grow" in this round of Internet media expansion, he said, noting that his company's total audience has grown significantly as a result of electronic media, reaching more than 11 million people.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts, experiences and reactions by clicking on the comment button below or by e-mailing me at v-vahlberg@northwestern.edu.