In order to survive in today's media environment, the brain trust of traditional media companies is diving deep into its think-tank to reform online strategies across the web. Due to our current economic circumstances, and increasingly tech-savvy audiences turning to technologies like Twitter and RSS for their daily news, publishers are feeling the strain in a big way.

High-quality reporting from established news sources will always be of value, but how do old foxes of the industry keep their audience in the din of Web 2.0 and its social media counterparts?

One tactic that’s gathering steam is inventing ways to inject a communal feeling into media websites. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal deployed Loomia's Seen This? widget, which allows readers to 'bring' their social network with them to WSJ.com by showing them content that is popular with their Facebook friends, groups and regions right on the webpage. The NYT and Washington Post have also recently implemented similar social tools on their sites.

What does the future of online media look like? How will news sites continue to compete with growing numbers of bloggers working for nothing but notoriety?