1. A computer-implemented method for selecting news articles for presentation on a user device of a user, the method comprising: measuring dwelltimes for a first plurality of news items, the measured dwelltimes based on an amount of time that each of the first plurality of news item is determined to have been displayed on the user device, each of the first plurality of news items having a plurality of features associated therewith; training a classifier for determining one or more ranking parameters for ranking news items based on the measured dwelltimes and based on the plurality of features associated with the first plurality of news items, the training including calculating a relative importance of respective features for increasing measured dwelltimes, wherein the one or more ranking parameters are at least based upon a feature determined to have a higher importance than other features of the plurality of features for increasing measured dwelltimes; ranking a second plurality of news items for presentation on the user device using the one or more ranking parameters determined by the classifier; and sending one or more of the second plurality of news items to be presented on the user device based on the ranking, wherein the one or more ranking parameters being based upon the feature determined to have higher importance than other features for increasing dwelltimes enables sending of news items expected to increase dwelltimes for the user of the user device.