MEDIA WATCH: Two million 'hits' looming as Substance on line readership continues exploding... October surpasses all but one 2009 month with nine days to go
As late as six months ago, Substance staff thought that one million hits would be a good measure of the news and analysis Web site www.substancenews.net during 2009, trends in on line readership now indicate that Substance will have reached its two millionth hit by November 1, 2009, and the possibility exists that 2009 will see the expanding news service reach between two and a half million and three million total hits in its first full year of operation.
At the same time, the monthly tabloid newspaper Substance upon which the new Web service was built has begun expanding its print circulation again after several years of stagnant subscriptions and sales.
While discussion take place both within the factions of the Chicago Teachers Union and across the general population about the future of newspapers in relation to the new media, Substance print edition and www.substancenews.net continue to experience steady growth as the 2008 - 2009 school year heats up in Chicago and the attacks on public schools escalate across the U.S. as part of the Obama administration's 'Race to the Top' promotion of charter schools, union busting, and the massive privatization of public education being promoted by former Chicago schools 'Chief Executive Officer' Arne Duncan and the U.S. Department of Education.
By October 22, 2009, www.substancenews.net had reached a total of 275,440 hits for the month of October and 4,633 'unique hits' during the month. The total hits makes October 2009 the second highest month since Substance began counting on January 1, 2009, after conversion to the publication's 'new' website. (The old site is still maintained for archival purposes at www.substancenews.com and contains material going back to 2002). Tracking of Substance Web traffic is done through Network Solutions, where Substance reserved its domain names and has hosting for www.substancenews.net. 'Hits' and 'Unique Hits' are two of the main ways that Web readership is tracked as the new age of media and newspapers evolves.
Substance staff originally expected optimistically that about one million visitors would hit the new Web site during 2009. As it became clear that Chicago and across the country faced a growing need for news about the public schools and the Substance reporting staff continued to expand, the necessity of expanding into a committed daily news service was obvious. By July 2009, Substance was committed to publishing news and analysis on a daily basis, seven days a week. By October 23, www.substancenews.net had published 40 separate articles from reporters across the USA, most of them based in Chicago, and more than 100 new photographs covering topics ranging from the Derrion Albert murder and the hypocritical response from the local and federal governments to the politics of the Chicago Teachers Union.
At the end of the day on October 22, 2009, www.substancenews.net had accumulated 1,809,383 total hits since officially opening for business on January 1, 2009. Substance staff had thought that Substance hits would surpass two million by the night of the Second City benefit, but now expect that the two million marks might well be reached by the first week of November or even earlier.
Data provided on a daily basis by Network Solutions shows that the Substance readership is expanding on a regular basis, and that there is no hour during any 24-hour cycle when there is not traffic to www.substancenews.net.
With the publication of the October 2009 print edition Substance staff and editors had also completed the transition to new print software, prepress procedures, and editorial procedures, leading to a staff promise that the six-month rocky transition and the integration of print and Web news and analysis would now improve in all manners in the years ahead.
Comments:
By: kugler
scene for a series of major protests
teachers need to start fighting back instead of watching their brothers and sisters get fired, laid off, threaten, intimidated, assaulted and marginalized.
Wake up you are next!
here is what others are doing to make change not wait for it.
http://twitpic.com/mybq7
http://www.seiu.org/IMG00788.jpg
ORIGINAL POST:
The American Bankers Association's annual convention in Chicago has become the scene for a series of major protests, which are set to continue through Tuesday. Dubbed "the Showdown in Chicago." (Check back here frequently for updates on the protests.)
Groups like the National People's Action, the Service Employees International Union, Americans For Financial Reform and the AFL-CIO are expected to turn out with thousands of protesters. Sen. Richard Durbin (D - Illinois) is scheduled to address the protesters Sunday evening. Conference speakers include Newt Gingrich, conservative columnist George Will and FDIC chairman Sheila Bair.
(For more information on the protests, read Huffington Post blogs by economist Dean Baker, the AFL-CIO's Rich Trumka and the SEIU's Anna Burger.)
The ABA's convention is already underway, and some early images of the protests are trickling in. From the SEIU's blog, here's an early report from the scene:
"The Wall Street bankers are in Chicago this weekend for the American Bankers Association conference - and they've decided to do one good deed for the people of Chicago while they're here. They are helping to renovate a house that had been foreclosed... by them.
It's a nice gesture on the bankers' part, but a completely empty one. In the time it took them to help fix up that one house, banks were kicking 1,440 families out of homes across the country; that's one foreclosed home every 7.5 seconds."
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/25/bank-protests_n_333155.html
By: Retired Principal
Substance Website
George, congratulations on your website!
By: Zeta
Congratulations George !
I have no idea what I would have done without the support of Substance this year. Since teachers are reassigned, displaced, dishonored disrespected and disenfranchised, you express for all of us our concerns on a daily basis.
The view points and ideas expressed by Substance let us know that our feelings are legitimate.
I think that Substance will be the catalyst for waking up teachers across the nation and informing them about the disaster of REN 2010. I hope that they will see what has happened in Chicago and use this information to fight this national school reform initiative.
Here's an idea, would you send President Obama a subscription to Substance for Christmas?
Thanks George for everything! Hard work does pay off.
By: Margaret Wilson
Retired teacher
Congradulations, George and everyone else responsible for the website.
I think it's great that there are so many hits. It shows that people are hungry for accurate reporting. Keep up the wonderful job.
By: kugler
Showdown in Chicago
The Showdown in Chicago is underway! Thousands of Americans are in the midsts of a series of demonstrations against Wall Street banks and their lobbyists to call for financial reform.
Check out the latest news:
http://www.showdowninchicago.org/
Interesting.
By: kugler
list of unions
looked on the list of unions supporting the protest and CTU was not on the list.
ABOUT US
We are everyday people – retirees, farmers, workers, homeowners, renters, students, clergy, and small business owners from across the United States. We are coming together in Chicago because there is so much at stake and no time to waste.
It is clear that our financial system is a mess and the American people are paying the price for it. Whether it be shrinking pensions, rising foreclosures, cresting unemployment, state budget cuts, payday lending, incredulous overdraft fees, and sky-high credit card interest rates – it is clear that the lack of regulation of the financial industry is hurting us all.
America can do better. Now is the time for us to enact significant financial reform to protect consumers and strengthen the American economy. If you believe now is the time to regulate the banks in the name of protecting people, we invite you to join us in Chicago, October 25-27.
SHOWDOWN ALLIES
A New Way Forward
AFL-CIO
Alliance to Develop Power (ADP)
Americans for Financial Reform
BankstersUSA
Blocks Together
Case Western Reserve University
Center for Community Change (CCC)
Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP)
Change in Terms
Change To Win
Communities United for Action (CUFA)
Community Voices Heard (CVH)
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO)
Fuerza Laboral/Power of Workers
Gender Just
Global Coalition for Peace
GRACE Cares
Grassroots Policy Project (GPP)
Green Party of Nevada
Indy Artists' Peace Project
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI)
Insight Beyond Sight
Metanoia Centers, Inc.
Michael Moore
Michigan People's Action (MPA)
National People's Action (NPA)
National Strike October 29
Network Alliance of Congregations Caring for Earth (NACCE)
Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition
People Organized for West Side Renewal (POWER)
Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
Public Citizen
PUSH Buffalo
Right to the City Alliance
Rights for All People (RAP)
Roomdad Productions
Rogers Park People's Party
Roosevelt Institute
SEIU Illinois
Society for the Preservation of Continued Homeownership
South Austin Coalition Community Council (SACCC)
St. Lukes United Methodist Church
Sunflower Community Action
Syracuse United Neighbors (SUN)
Teach Our Children (TOC)
UCLA Undergraduate Students Association
Western North Carolina Central Labor Counci (AFL-CIO)
Working In Neighborhoods (WIN)
By: alexander
district299.com
congrats, everyone at substance.
i'm doing my best to give you and everyone else the attention and credit you deserve. glad you're out there.
By: Jim Vail
Great Job Substance!
Great job Substance! Now the key is to make sure every teacher in Chicago gets a subscription to Substance. Anything is possible if you truly believe!