I can't find the source right now (Google queries return a bunch of Amazon links and SEO spam) but I seem to recall Amazon seeing e-book sales being significantly higher than expected, just because they're so easy to impulse buy. Personally, I find books so valuable I don't bother to look at the price--enriching hours of my time is worth more than $5, or $25, even if there's a significant chance the book will be a dud.
It's really just a convenience thing. E-books are easy to pay for. News websites are not. This also has to do with how we consume news: nobody wants to pay to click on grandma's Buzzfeed links on Facebook.
Also remember book authors traditionally make about 10-15% of hardcover sales and about a dollar a paperback. Ebook royalties are reportedly 25-30%, and I bet they will go higher.
It's really just a convenience thing. E-books are easy to pay for. News websites are not. This also has to do with how we consume news: nobody wants to pay to click on grandma's Buzzfeed links on Facebook.
Also remember book authors traditionally make about 10-15% of hardcover sales and about a dollar a paperback. Ebook royalties are reportedly 25-30%, and I bet they will go higher.