Jennifer Sizemore is vice president and editor-in-chief of Redmondbased MSNBC.com and an executive producer at NBC News. Sizemore, 39, joined MSNBC.com in 2005. Prior to that, she held managerial positions at the Houston Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle. Sizemore graduated from the University of Washington and has a master's degree from Northwestern University.

Who is your target audience?

Our core audience is the passionate news consumer: people who are excited about information and delighted by learning things they didn't know. Like all news outlets, our audience skews a bit older, and we continue searching for ways to reach the next generation of news consumers, who are mostly absorbing information in more ambient ways.

What's the best source of online news in the U.S.? Who are the innovators?

U.S. news consumers are lucky: The options are varied and many are high-quality. Even the three biggest news sites, MSNBC.com, Yahoo! News and CNN.com, approach both the gathering and presentation of the news differently. And the bigger newspaper websites -- WashingtonPost.com, NYTimes.com, USAToday.com -- are all trying interesting things in data interfaces, community and web-exclusive storytelling.

What major challenges do you face in terms of attracting and keeping online readers?

The entire news industry, regardless of platform, faces one challenge in order to attract and retain audience: We must be relevant. Our responsibility is to our readers, so we must continue investing in "watchdog" journalism. This kind of shoe-leather, investigative journalism is what may be most at risk as media companies consolidate and cut costs.

How do you assure online advertisers that their money is being effectively spent?

Actually, online we can finally do that. We can tell advertisers exactly how many people saw their ad, what those readers looked at next, where those people live, and more. We can make sure the advertiser is positioned where its target audience will see it. In the print model we, and our advertisers, had to take people's word for their behavior.

Will print newspapers cease to exist?

I have an undying belief in the value and importance of local journalism. I do believe that survival will depend on understanding what readers demand in an on-paper format, a focusing of resources on what local news organizations can deliver uniquely, and subsequent dramatic reinvention of the product.

How about magazines?

Much of the magazine industry is pretty healthy. Magazines are natural niche products that cater to specific demographics and interests, and they have shelf life. Both those things make them attractive to both readers and advertisers.

Are you equipped to do major investigative projects that expose abuses in government and other institutions?

As we choose to invest more in our news product, our focus is on high-impact original journalism. The one thing the news industry must do is deliver on its responsibility to society. If we tell stories that people can't get anywhere else, then our brand attracts a bigger audience and is the kind of environment advertisers want to be in.

What role will online journalism play in the presidential race?

This entire presidential campaign is playing out online. Stories are breaking online first. People are getting involved in unprecedented numbers. It really is democracy in action.

What should online journalists do to avoid the low credibility ratings of print and broadcast news sources?

People don't trust the mainstream media, whether it's print, broadcast or online. A recent study showed that more people in the U.S. believe in flying saucers than in the ideal of "balanced" reporting. But the advantage we have online is that we can be completely transparent. We can post original documents alongside traditional reporting, and we can provide links to alternative sources. We can create interfaces for databases and let the consumers access the information themselves.