Link Context

Ideally, a news story will provide within its copy the context that a reader needs to understand the piece. But some stories are so complex that an author will not want to risk testing the patience of loyal readers by rehashing basic info they already know. In these cases, a link to background information can help bring new readers up to speed, while allowing more informed visitors to read ahead without distraction. (This is how Wikipedia's built a ton of inbound links over the years, and why news organizations ought to consider more frequent use of standing reference articles on their websites.)

Contextual hyperlinks can links to the definition of an unfamiliar term (see, for some readers, the "easter egg" link above). They also can help explain gags that the author attempted but that some readers might not immediately get (see, for many *more* readers, the "set it and forget it" joke above).