If they hired me as their consultant, I would bring them lubricated flashlights and pictures of the outside world so they could see while they are laboring over their definitive work on 'how to be an Internet assclown, for dummies'...
1.) ask people what they want to read, watch what they actually read, and personalize the news experience to what they want to know about, based on your stats. Do not charge them for access, so they come back. In fact, engage them with a loyalty program so you ensure they do. They are the people that pay your bills.
2.) ask them what they want to purchase, watch what ads they actually click on, and personalize their ads by selling their adspace to companies looking to target them.
....visits go up, EPC goes up. What's not to like? Not everything is about contextual ads. Just engage and ask them and everything will go up an order of magnitude.