JNS blog his some amazing readership numbers this weekend, which I attribute to extensive coverage of circumstances surrounding the life and death of Chukwumah "Terry" Okolie. While mainstream media seemed to be taking Labor Day weekend off, JNS blog filled in the gaps for readers who, it appeared, had plenty of personal time to read blog stories on the internet.
What did the numbers look like? Well...
...all of last week, my "page views" had been bouncing around in the "high 2,000s." For some reason I became obsessed with breaking 3,000 and--realizing JNS blog had the Okolie murder all to itself, with both my readers and mainstream media on vacation over the weekend--I figured quality blog coverage provided in the absence of mainstream media coverage could snap up an audience with plenty of time on its hands over Labor Day weekend.
So I poured on the coverage and, simultaneously, posted links on North Vent Facebook forum. I did post one link on North Talk, but by and large I've given up on North Talk.
By the end of Saturday, I'd not only broken 3,000 page views but actually broke 4,000 page views. The final number was 4,664 on Saturday, August 31. But readership remained high on Sunday and Monday, with 3,873 and 3,642 page views. Keep in mind my original goal was to simply break 3,000. That goal was accomplished THREE TIMES over the weekend.
This is somewhat unique because normally my readership drops over the weekend and picks up Monday through Friday. But Labor Day isn't like other weekends and the mainstream media coverage of the Okolie murder left much to be desired. So, over the weekend, a lot of people apparently thought, "I wonder if JNS blog has any new information on that recent murder?"
Not only did this blog have information, but the information was shocking. A man murdered over a HAIRCUT, reportedly. A barbershop which appears to be catering to "thug clientele" with haircut designs featuring, for example, a red five-pointed star. The murder victim HIMSELF a murderer who spent almost half his life in prison.
Individual page views do not mean individual readers. By other statistical tools on my blog, I can determine the spike of page views only involved 605 individual readers. My biggest spike of individual readership happened during the Blogosphere Trial of the Century, when media coverage drove a number of people to (at least briefly) visit my blog. That produced a momentary spike of, I think it was, 3,000 readers.
Not page views.
Readers.
What is the point of writing all this besides horn tooting? Well, I think these numbers say something about grassroots media and the role it plays. Over the weekend, somebody on North Vent Facebook page said this about the Okolie murder and the rumors being circulated:
So, it wasn't Terry in the car? It appears it was Chuck. Has the community has fallen to rumors? Do yourself a favor and go tohttp://pa.courts.state.mn.us/
This is why we should always wait to for facts and not assume.
After somebody quickly pointed out that "Terry" and "Chuck" were, in fact, one and the same (Chukwumah Terrell Okolie went by "Terry") I made the following impassioned posting:
(I)f we're going to "wait" for official information, we're going to be waiting the rest of our life, except for the little bit of WRONG INFORMATION we'll get from the mainstream media about how it's oh-so-shocking and "he was just starting to turn his life around." Clearly, we have to be our own media and that even means, yes, passing things on verbally that we hear. Because it's up to us. We can't rely on being informed when the facts are determined. We can't rely on anybody caring enough to inform us of the facts but we, ourselves. People die on the Northside and sometimes the media doesn't even give us a name or the name of somebody who was arrested. It just happens and they're off to the next story about cool new fried foods on a stick this year at the State Fair.
And so it is this blog hits high readership numbers.
But is that a GOOD thing?
As excited as I am about the numbers, I know why those numbers exist and it's NOT a good thing...
Because the mainstream media is relating a narrative about the North side that spreads reality too thin, and then doesn't provide essential follow-up to compelling stories. The MSM tell us when people are killed without giving us enough facts to determine why or at least "probably why." And then they hardly even follow up when murderers are arrested. When the true narrative appears in blogs, like overt signs of gang involvement in the triple shooting at 2925 Lyndale Ave. N., the mainstream media ignores these compelling facts unearthed by grassroots media and doesn't correct its original mistaken narrative.
On the Northside, we have become our own media in the absence of adequate media.
So there's one thing I would ask of readers who seem to rely, to some extent, on this blog for information and (to a lesser extent, I would hope) opinion.
If you see an ad that interests you....
Be sure to click on it. A check from Google for $127 paid most of my electric bill yesterday.
4 comments:
Soon, on the Northside, we will become our own police in the absence of adequate policing.
An earlier version of this story said the numbers were bouncing around in the "high 3,000s." It should have said "high 2,000s." That has been corrected.
Thank you, John and keep up the good work.
Your style is unique and I dare say you have more balls then the average bear does.
How many balls do bears have, you might ask?
Doesn't matter, John's got more and he has cubs all over the place, people. Glad I can assist you in paying your bills.
That record didn't stand for very long.
Sunday, September 8, JNS blog achieved an all time page view record of 5,013. These page views represented only 401 readers, however. It appears readers were gobbling up information about the accidental shooting of Baby Isaac Early, the fugitive uncle at large, etc.
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