Online opinion means change.

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS need to understand that online readers have different needs and expectations from print readers. If online readers didn't have these different needs and expectations, they'd be completely satisfied with print, and would never log online.

Online readers want content that is immediate, interactive, and linked to rich sources of background and other reference material. A print editorial provides none of these qualities. And that's why an online opinion section that consists of nothing more than repurposed print content will fail to attract new readers.

So how can print editorial pages attract new readers through their Web sites?

* Get to the point. You can't read text on a computer screen as quickly or comfortably as you can on a printed page. So online readers won't stick around on a Web site that buries information within dense text blocks. Savvy online writers keep their copy tight, and make liberal use of bold text and bulleted lists to highlight important points.

This may dictate adopting a different voice, or even selecting different topics, than in print. Some institutions may resist that change. But those that do resist risk becoming irrelevant in an online community where anyone, and I mean anyone, can become a high profile commentator. (Hello, Matt Drudge!)

* Let your readers participate. Editorialists often write their pieces to be the final word on a given subject. But a "final word" won't inspire much new discussion. A format such as USA Today's that offers multiple viewpoints, or one that comes right out and asks readers a question, will inspire more reaction than a traditional print editorial.

And remember, online readers won't consider a site truly interactive unless they see their input on the site immediately. In print, editing is a reactive task. In an interactive environment, you don't have time to sort through each comment before allowing it to appear. Online, editing becomes proactive -- the process of creating the ground rules by which people will be allowed to participate. This includes selecting topics, creating "dirty word" and other content filters, and yes, programming new applications.

* Take advantage of the Web. A recent survey found that the best search engines index fewer than 20% of the pages on Web. Online readers are looking for reliable gateways to the wealth of information on the Internet. Why not make your online editorial section such a gateway?

Hyperlink editorials and other columns to related stories, data, and commentary on your site and elsewhere around the Web. It's an effective way to build loyalty among readers to a site. Even if readers don't utilize all these links immediately, they'll remember you have them when they do need additional reference material.

Internal politics at a newspaper or broadcast station might make such a section impossible. In an interactive opinion section, the editor is a leader, not a dictator. That might not be acceptable to editors and publishers who don't always tolerate dissent on their editorial pages.

Nor may some organizations be able to find or retain the unique individuals who have a passion for commentary, a feel for the online community, and the technical skills to develop a truly interactive opinion section.

But those that do will expand their leadership.

I believe that online readers care about their physical communities. And that they are looking for a chance to engage in an informed and interactive discussion with others in their community. The only question I have is this: Will newspapers and broadcast stations be the ones to lead this discussion, or will they ignore this opportunity, and leave the leadership of the online community to someone else?

Robert Niles is executive producer of InsideDenuer.com, the Web site of Denver's Rocky Mountain News. His e-mail address is [e-mail]