I just noticed this week that the International Herald Tribune online has begun running Google's AdSense program underneath it's stories. The IHT has always been a favorite website of mine, both for its usability & the quality of the stories.

IHT's formatting of the ads is one of the best that I've seen online, but I wonder if advertising in this manner will erode trust in the news source or make it less usable and enjoyable for visitors. If advertising has a negative impact, is there a better way to monetize a free content site like the IHT? SEOs naturally think of selling links, but big media companies are probably unaware of the possible revenue of such a venture. They may also be turned off by the insinuation that their site directly promotes others... but, isn't that the basis of all web ads?