Jan 8, 2009

Web traffic up at SGVN

Frank Pine, senior editor at SGVN, which consists of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News and Whittier Daily News, sent out a memo today praising the three newsrooms for their good work in 2008 and noting a rise in Web traffic.

From the memo:
Everyone deserves credit for a year of strong online growth. In 2008, combined traffic to all three SGVN Web sites was up by more than 30 percent. Tribune's Web site was up more than 40 percent (up 122 percent in December over last December) year over year. Pasadena and Whittier also had respectable jumps in traffic. The trend for all three sites is increasing gains: In the early part of 2008, growth was sluggish, picking up in the middle of the year, and accelerating significantly at the end of the year.

Online standouts include Fred Robledo, who writes our most popular blog. Miguel Melendez, who took over the Pasadena preps blog in August, is also racking up impressive numbers. Frank Girardot's CrimeScene and Leftovers from City Hall (Jennifer McLain and Tania Chatila) are also driving significant traffic. Photo galleries continue to be a major draw with readers, consistently ranking at the top of our "most popular pages" stats.
SGVN is part of LANG's Inland Division. LANG is part of Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Most of the traffic related to Girardot seems to come from reader comments calling him a moron.

Anonymous said...

SO...is this increase in web traffic gonna save anybody's job?

Highly unlikely...

It's not that people don't want to read newspapers - they want to do it online.

The 'geniuses' that LANG management types are have not figured out how to cash in on that trend.

Anonymous said...

Every time this guy writes big time praising notes, I can just imagine him getting a big woody. These notes are only meant to show the big boss how great he's doing as an A licker but in reality why isn't the company doing any better if it's getting all that traffic.

Anonymous said...

The spike in December traffic at the SGVT can likely be attributed to the psycho santa killings in Covina.

I'd be curious to find out whether the average session length for online readers has changed or improved since last year.

"Web traffic" can mean any number of different things -- unique users, page views, etc. Let's see a spreadsheet with all the data in addition to the memo, please.

Anonymous said...

Interesting Pine releases this after cutting photographers who help bring the galleries and what people like to see online. According to people I talk with, they want to see good photos.

Anonymous said...

page views, unique views... don't confuse frank he probably thinks the website updates itself automatically... by the use of harry potter's wand.

Wonder if any of the people mentioned in that memo by name actually maintain the site so the rest of the newsroom have somewhere to post it.

Anonymous said...

Web traffic means nothing at these papers. If you have 10 and go to 15 you have a 50% increase. What is the base, how much time spent, what are uniques, and, oh, by the way, are you making money on it?

Anonymous said...

This is a lame attempt to spin the company in good shape after the cuts.

Web traffic is not circulation, nor does it equal ad sales or pay raises because if it did, they wouldn't have just fired people.

Anonymous said...

All of you bloggers, obviousely not journalists, are so misinformed on all of this that it's actually amusing and evokes laughter to read the crap you are all bantering about. Move on allready...

Anonymous said...

why are you hear oh wise one

Anonymous said...

I’m sure we all know that Mr. Pine is publicly saying he doesn't read the blogs. But I assure you that he is most definitely aware of what the opinions are about him.

And he dismisses them all. He'll dismiss all of these. Even though they are, for the most part, correct.

Mr. Pine, though I know it's "folly" to address you because you don't read such foolishness, you are ineffective. Just like your mentor, the now disgraced and discarded Steve O'Sullivan.

Mr. Lambert saw it. As tyrannical and irrelevant as he has become, he was still able to see how deeply you lacked journalistic skill and prowess.

That falling out you had with Mr. Lambert, the one that landed you in San Gabriel, the one all the reporters whisper about now over beers, was inevitable.

You were a man who ascended not on talent and skill but based on good character and strategically made friends.

To go from a man who got to know reporters over drinks to someone who hand-held a socially awkward manager takes skill of its own. Not to mention posturing.

I think that most people at the SGVN have taken note that you have completed the obligatory "atta boy" message following the spirit crushing job loss on Wednesday and Thursday.

You can put it on your "good editors" score card with a smiley face.

For the sake of the staff, however, consider taking a more quiet and respectful approach during these times. Refrain from these silly messages.

You're not dealing with children. We know what's happening. We don't need those verbal lollipops.