Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, February 11, 2009
City / Media P-I Popularity Contest
Posted by Eli Sanders on Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 3:43 PM
A favorite (but grim) local media parlor game these days is guessing who's going to be voted off the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's island when Hearst Corp. likely shuts down the P-I's print edition in March. The answer could very well be: everyone. Meaning, there wouldn't be one paid P-I writer or reporter left in this town.
But it could also be: almost everyone. In the event that Hearst follows through on its many hints and creates a web-only P-I, it's a good bet that a select number of current P-I employees would be kept on to produce the content for whatever this new web venture becomes. So who's it gonna be?
There are a lot of ways to play this game, but for now here's an easy one. Last week, when I was sent an internal P-I memo about the paper's record January blog traffic, I was also sent a list of the most commented stories in the online P-I for January. Stranger intern Aaron Pickus has now tallied, sliced, and diced that data in order to come up with this "People's Choice" list of P-I writers who most successfully get the online comment world a-frothing.
And, as everyone knows, the number of comments something gets is the only thing that matters. Right? Comments = Success! Comments = Genius! Comments = Vast Riches Beyond Our Wildest Dreams! Right? Which means Hearst has to—must! cannot do anything but!—pick some of these Top Ten Most Commented P-I Writers for January when it puts together its (still hypothetical) online-only staff. Ready? Here they are:
1. Brad Wong: 1,648 comments2. Joel Connelly: 1,349 comments
3. Dan Richman: 1,202 comments
4. Andrea James: 679 comments
5. Levi Pulkkinen: 542 comments
6. Larry Lange: 447 comments
7. Robert L. Jamieson: 350 comments
8. Kathy Mulady: 332 comments
9. Mike Barber: 329 comments
10. Scott Gutierrez: 302 comments
2
Erica Cunt Barnett is the most brilliant person you have on staff, appearance then
(the number of comments something gets is the only thing that matters)
(the number of comments something gets is the only thing that matters)
4
and when blogs have flickr and google to steal from for pictures they certainly won't need to employ their photographers anymore...
5
Is "commenting" a measure of success, or just the extent to which your readship despises and disagrees with you?
6
I wonder how many of those 2.8 million page views in January were of news stories and how many were clicks on photo galleries? Isn't it widely recognized that the P-I fluffs up its numbers with gallery after gallerty of cheesecake? Advertisers understand they won't reach the right audience just by raw numbers.
7
Comment numbers are governed by the beat or topic, AND WHO IS HANGING AROUND to in-fight, not the byline, numbnutzs.
go back and tally again, intern.
go back and tally again, intern.
8
Eli it's just weird to see your nonstop smug and arrogant condescension of real newspapers going down, when really, you are the loser working for the free rag that's not even taken seriously.
Your "reporting" on this, non-stop, is incredibly phony and transparent. At least these people were real journalists to start.
And now, we'll switch topics to how much we even hate one of our very own, Village Voice Media...
Your "reporting" on this, non-stop, is incredibly phony and transparent. At least these people were real journalists to start.
And now, we'll switch topics to how much we even hate one of our very own, Village Voice Media...
9
Most commented by whom?
Most of the comments are from non-consumers of the PI who don't buy it and live out of state, and aren't even the target market (e.g. they are old retired neocon or survivalist guys who won't buy what the paper's advertisers are selling).
Having a lot of comments just means you said the truth and they're ranting about how liberal Seattle is and how we should all bow to our neocon masters.
Seriously, this is the DUMBEST idea ever.
Do a search on the search terms they used to get there - it's all people who don't buy stuff who came from FreeRepublic.com and don't even live in our state.
Most of the comments are from non-consumers of the PI who don't buy it and live out of state, and aren't even the target market (e.g. they are old retired neocon or survivalist guys who won't buy what the paper's advertisers are selling).
Having a lot of comments just means you said the truth and they're ranting about how liberal Seattle is and how we should all bow to our neocon masters.
Seriously, this is the DUMBEST idea ever.
Do a search on the search terms they used to get there - it's all people who don't buy stuff who came from FreeRepublic.com and don't even live in our state.
13
"There are a lot of ways to play this game, and I suspect we'll play it several different ways here on Slog"
Actually we don't all sit around playing "parlor games" in "several different ways" about career journalists getting laid off.
Do you have the slightest clue what a total DICK you sound like?
This is beyond spirited rivalry between actual newspapers and the free one. It’s just mean. It’s even worse when you do it under the guise of "reporting."
Hey Eli – getting the intern to count comments for one of your "parlor games" is not reporting.
Beaming enthusiasm about all the ways you'll play in the coming week is without class. It’s small. Celebrating newspaper layoffs? Are you that shallow?
I thought you were one of the more professional types at The Stranger, but really, you should be ashamed at this entry.
Actually we don't all sit around playing "parlor games" in "several different ways" about career journalists getting laid off.
Do you have the slightest clue what a total DICK you sound like?
This is beyond spirited rivalry between actual newspapers and the free one. It’s just mean. It’s even worse when you do it under the guise of "reporting."
Hey Eli – getting the intern to count comments for one of your "parlor games" is not reporting.
Beaming enthusiasm about all the ways you'll play in the coming week is without class. It’s small. Celebrating newspaper layoffs? Are you that shallow?
I thought you were one of the more professional types at The Stranger, but really, you should be ashamed at this entry.
14
The one consolation to the demise of the P-I was that it would deny Connolly and Jamieson their platforms. It's the worst of both worlds if they survive.
In related observations, the Times needs to pick up Art Thiel and send Steve Kelley to a well-deserved grave.
In related observations, the Times needs to pick up Art Thiel and send Steve Kelley to a well-deserved grave.
15
@13: I'm in total agreement, though the easy Slog answer is to say that stuff on here isn't really reporting. Just blgo fodder.
And let's face it: Some of these names on Eli's list are of talented folks -- but who come at a higher price than many of the other P-I writers. From a business perspective, a young GA reporter with the same skill set as a polished columnist brings you much more ROI.
Still, no one wins.
And let's face it: Some of these names on Eli's list are of talented folks -- but who come at a higher price than many of the other P-I writers. From a business perspective, a young GA reporter with the same skill set as a polished columnist brings you much more ROI.
Still, no one wins.
16
@ everyone: The point was to mention the parlor game, which is going on, and then to make fun of this bizarro new world in which it's actually a little bit conceivable that a company like Hearst would use online comment data to pick people for this (hypothetical) new web site.
Sorry if I didn't pull that off well.
I've adjusted the post to make the gallows humor a bit more clear.
Sorry if I didn't pull that off well.
I've adjusted the post to make the gallows humor a bit more clear.
17
Well, if online comments were a sign of popularity, then you'd have the 90 percent commenters at the Washington Post calling the writer idiot, moron, and someone who should be fired ... good comments.
Seriously, this is the wrong metric.
A better metric is who actually bothers to read the whole article in the first place (e.g. clicks to page 2 or 3 at WaPo) (not sure how the PI would do it) before posting crap.
Seriously, this is the wrong metric.
A better metric is who actually bothers to read the whole article in the first place (e.g. clicks to page 2 or 3 at WaPo) (not sure how the PI would do it) before posting crap.
18
If you're going to "adjust the post" why don't you follow standard journalistic conventions and mark what you've changed?
Or is it better to just let your readers, the commentors, look like the over-reactionaries.
Because what was posted here before was quite different.
At least the P-I never edits their work in real time.
Dude you have totally lost perspective on this. And it's still without class, "grim" included.
Or is it better to just let your readers, the commentors, look like the over-reactionaries.
Because what was posted here before was quite different.
At least the P-I never edits their work in real time.
Dude you have totally lost perspective on this. And it's still without class, "grim" included.
19
This list obviously only includes article comments and not blog comments (Microsoft blogger would easily make this list), so it's kind of worthless anyway.
21
Note to Hearst: I read your paper every day. I skim the news and read what interests me as long as it fills me in on The Topic Of The Month (somali pirates, the economy, Vista is tanking, etc).
I enjoy your editorial page, mostly for the admittedly old-fashioned "Letters to the Editor" section, as it gives me the tone of what others are thinking about current events and the deeper meanings of said events.
I read the editorials, too. And I know the names of a few of your syndicated editorialists, and your local editorialists.
But I really couldn't name a single other news writer to save my life. Seeing the names on that list, my reaction was "Huh? They write for the Pee-eye? Who knew."
As far as I care the news can be churned out by a machine, as long as it shows up in my driveway before I leave for work.
Oh, kudos for all the nifty investigative journalism your people do. But really, in an ideal world they should be paid well for doing it, and the name-recognition factor of the intarwebs shouldn't matter. I shouldn't be expected to click on a story just because some favorite or well-regarded journalist wrote it. And that journalist shouldn't be your cash-cow just because of their name or reputation.
I guess I'm just saying what someone else said: Don't confuse high comment volume with high quality. Cultivate your staff to be the best...
Oh, fuck it. Cancel my subscription when the sixty days is over, k?
I enjoy your editorial page, mostly for the admittedly old-fashioned "Letters to the Editor" section, as it gives me the tone of what others are thinking about current events and the deeper meanings of said events.
I read the editorials, too. And I know the names of a few of your syndicated editorialists, and your local editorialists.
But I really couldn't name a single other news writer to save my life. Seeing the names on that list, my reaction was "Huh? They write for the Pee-eye? Who knew."
As far as I care the news can be churned out by a machine, as long as it shows up in my driveway before I leave for work.
Oh, kudos for all the nifty investigative journalism your people do. But really, in an ideal world they should be paid well for doing it, and the name-recognition factor of the intarwebs shouldn't matter. I shouldn't be expected to click on a story just because some favorite or well-regarded journalist wrote it. And that journalist shouldn't be your cash-cow just because of their name or reputation.
I guess I'm just saying what someone else said: Don't confuse high comment volume with high quality. Cultivate your staff to be the best...
Oh, fuck it. Cancel my subscription when the sixty days is over, k?
23
Robert Jamieson: ugh. I'm sorry for the personal suffering he'll go through (like everyone else over there) but honestly, his column itself has been insufferable for a long, long time.
24
Great work concocting a number from a month's worth of comments and deciding it's a metric the P-I is using, Eli. Really, thanks for doing the heavy lifting yourself. Or having your intern do it. Or whatever.
The unqualified media criticism you guys offer is almost as much fun as the unqualified national political coverage. Or the architecture critiques. Oh, the insights.
Please don't start trying any of that reporting. You know, the kind that involves telling other people's stories, that provides a service to the community. Where would Seattle turn if it wanted half-assed opinions by writers who can't get over themselves?
Well, I guess we'd all have the Soundoffs. For now.
The unqualified media criticism you guys offer is almost as much fun as the unqualified national political coverage. Or the architecture critiques. Oh, the insights.
Please don't start trying any of that reporting. You know, the kind that involves telling other people's stories, that provides a service to the community. Where would Seattle turn if it wanted half-assed opinions by writers who can't get over themselves?
Well, I guess we'd all have the Soundoffs. For now.
25
OK, all those old-timers. They cost a ton to keep around. I can promise you they'll be the first to go. Joel Connelly and his ilk are probably fucking millionaires.
Also, I was under the impression that Hearst is getting rid of everyone and making those who want to stay reapply for the job. So technically, everyone would be gone and salaries for said old-timers would be substantially less.
Also, as much as people hate on Guzman, local bloggers are OBSESSED! They cannot get enough! I don't know what to think about her work, but I get the feeling she has more than a few options.
Also, I was under the impression that Hearst is getting rid of everyone and making those who want to stay reapply for the job. So technically, everyone would be gone and salaries for said old-timers would be substantially less.
Also, as much as people hate on Guzman, local bloggers are OBSESSED! They cannot get enough! I don't know what to think about her work, but I get the feeling she has more than a few options.
26
Yeah, Eli, when people are really on my case about how I go about my business, I find it works best to request a list of personal improvements from the most strident, anonymous crybaby I find closest at hand.
27
Eli,
Nice that you've turned other people's misery (impending job loss) into a nice little parlor game.
Things must be going well for you though, which makes it odd when your resume turns up at the bottom of the stack around town.
Keep up the good work!
Nice that you've turned other people's misery (impending job loss) into a nice little parlor game.
Things must be going well for you though, which makes it odd when your resume turns up at the bottom of the stack around town.
Keep up the good work!
28
Yeah Eli, whenever I do a nice little something that puts me on the bottom of a lot of other peoples' stacks, I'll usually try to keep up the good work!
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