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Web technology shows gulf between the news which clicks and the news in print, raising age-old question for journalists

Submitted by Bill Densmore on Sun, 2007-02-04 16:13.

The technology of the web is making it possible for editors to measure with precision how many people are reading which stories online. Some of the results suggest a wide disparity between web readership and what editors choose to put on front pages, but not such much difference when print readers recommend print headlines. It raises starkly an age-old question for journalists: Should a news organization lead or follow public opinion?

There is likely already some organized research on this topic. But here are four examples where the subject is at issue:

  • At The Republican, the Springfield, Mass., daily, Editor Larry McDermott's weekly column on Jan. 7 reported on the top 10 most-read stories on the paper's affiliated MassLive.com website. They all had to do with intensely local crime or or odd elements of human behavior or coincidence. With one exception, none had anything to do with state or local politics or government. And none of the top 10 read on the web were among the stories chosen by the paper's editors as their top 10 stories of the year apply traditional news judgement. McDermott handles the disparity pretty much without comment, except to say it suggests a difference between the demographic of web vs. print readers.

  • The Worcester Telegram & Gazette sends out to subscribers to its TelegramOnline website a weekly compilation of most-read stories. After looking at these for several weeks, it's apparent to any reader that they invariably are the stories which feature crime and extremes of human behavior and experience -- as opposed to burning public-policy issues.

  • In January, 2006, the Seattle Times published a list of the top 20 most-clicked stories on its website. The results confirm reader interest in the bizarre.


  • For more than a year in Madison, Wis., the Wisconsin State Journal has been getting help from readers as it decides what to put on it's front page. There, Editor Ellen Foley says there isn't that much of a discrepancy between what readers suggest and editors recommend. Foley commented on the experiment on Oct. 19, 2006 during a discussion at MIT, part of a three-event series called "Will Newspapers Survive?":

      "We put up every day a vote on our web site where we allow voters to vote a story onto the [print] front page," said Foley. "We are very disciplined about this . . . and we put it out there even if it is a really dumb story. What we are stunned with is that the readers are constantly giving us what we consider heavy-duty news. They want to know about the BP pipeline when there are other things about Paris Hilton and her stolen technology that we put out there as one of the five things that they could vote on for the front page.

      "So the readers are smart. And we have know this for many, many generations. So don't let anybody give you the idea that readers are not smart. We've know that. That's why journalists, people like me who are editors, send 90 people out everybody to find out what those smart people are thinking. That's what we call journalism."

    More on Springfield

    Regarding the Springfield, Mass., report, Thomas R. Devine, an Amherst, Mass., based writer of an online local commentary-and-analysis blog, Tom Devine's Online Journal, offered some sensible commentary in a Jan. 11 post about McDermott's column. In it, Devine listed the top 10 stories with his own comments. Wrote Devine: "Overall, the list does not reflect well on the intellectual depth of the
    newspaper readership. McDermott tries to be polite about it in his column,
    but I will not."

    Commented Devine:

      Here is what was on each list, in descending number from
      one to ten, followed by what I think explains the discrepancy.

      Republican Choice for #1 - Deval Patrick elected governor.
      Reader's Choice - Belchertown family sues over "ugly" bride.
      Commentary - Who cares about who's governor when you're stuck with an ugly
      bride?

      Republican Choice for #2 - Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan take toll on Western
      Mass.
      Reader's Choice - Friend of Hampden victim held in slaying.
      Commentary - One person is killed, fascinating. Many people killed, yawn.

      Republican Choice for #3 - The Asselin clan, a Springfield corruption
      scandal.
      Reader's Choice - Missing Ludlow mother in Vegas.
      Commentary - Missing mother on gambling spree, fascinating. Missing
      millions from taxpayers, yawn.

      Republican Choice for #4 - Springfield under state-appointed Finance
      Control Board.
      Reader's Choice - UMass student-EMT dies just after aiding at 1st crash.
      Commentary - Rescue effort of a person goes badly, fascinating. Rescue
      effort of a city goes well, yawn.

      Republican Choice for #5 - Pioneer Valley Transit Authority corruption
      scandal.
      Reader's Choice - Monson teen charged in neighbor's death.
      Commentary - Teens might kill you, buses only rip you off.

      Republican Choice for #6 - Gay marriage focus of Statehouse battle.
      Reader's Choice - Springfield accident kills postal worker.
      Commentary - There was no indication that the postal worker was gay.

      Republican Choice for #7 - Mass Turnpike Authority abolishes Western Mass
      tolls.
      Reader's Choice - Agawam cookie tragedy prompts warning.
      Commentary - Chance of dying of a food allergy - near zero. Chance of
      getting ripped off by the Turnpike - 100%.

      Republican Choice for #8 - Supreme Court rules local health boards can ban
      smoking in private clubs.
      Reader's Choice - Drugs in Springfield cop's car lead to internal probe.
      Commentary - Thank goodness the cop wasn't smoking cigarettes!

      Republican Choice for #9 - D. Edward Wells Credit Union shut down, another
      Springfield corruption scandal.
      Reader's Choice - UMass athletic director's 19-year old son killed in 1-91
      collision.
      Commentary - Both are stories too sad to comment on.

      Republican Choice for #10 - Republican Sen. Brian Lees steps down from
      Senate, elected court clerk.
      Reader's Choice - West Springfield auto dealership raided by IRS.
      Commentary - Politicians and auto dealers - both tax your patience.


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