The evolving media business is fascinating as we try to bridge the expanse between the traditional newspaper and its website and how emerging entities such as Facebook and Twitter factor into the distribution of information.
And though this is all being produced by the newspaper staff, we recognize the differences between our print and electronic audiences and how vast they are.
For example, there are certain flammable stories that we absolute know will lead altoona mirror.com in traffic that are not appropriate to be played on Page A1.
Exhibit A occurred last week when a woman from Indiana County was charged with having sex with a horse. And police allegedly have the video to prove it.
This is only more sick than it is bizarre, but that hasn't stopped people from reading about it. In fact, in the history of our website, never has a story drawn this much interest.
As of late Friday, the story - not to mention the criminal complaint, which spells out more details - had drawn 50,000 views.
That's well more than four times the most-read story we ever posted previously, and it's easily been the most-read story on altoonamirror.com for three consecutive days.
So why wouldn't a story with that much interest lead the paper? Why would it be on Page A7?
Because we're not the National Enquirer.
Altoonamirror .com draws traffic from all over the world - much of it from a younger demographic. Stories like that get linked to various websites that specialize in, well, those kinds of stories.
One of the many upsides of the Internet is that most newspapers have more readers than they've ever had in their history.
At the same time, a majority of the readers who welcome us to their kitchen tables each day and have been, as they say, "subscribing to the Mirror for 50 years" are not looking to choke on their coffee.
In the meantime, we await word from David Letterman or Jay Leno.
Prefers a tabloid
A man stopped me at Sheetz early Wednesday and held up a copy of the New York Daily News, saying, "why doesn't the Mirror print the paper like this [tabloid-sized]?"
Well, good morning to you, too.
We actually do publish a weekly entertainment tabloid, Go, the seasonal Gameday and other sports previews (football, Winter Heat) along with the Blair Business Mirror.
Whether we'd decide to convert the entire paper to a tabloid is highly doubtful.
For one thing, you know how open to change our community is - (cue Select TV) - and for another, a tabloid really limits display. While we often feature four-five subjects on Page A1 now, a tabloid would usually allow for just one.
But thanks for the suggestion.
Touching moment
There is no annual event with more community spirit than the Freedom Fund dinner hosted by the Blair County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
It's a night when 300 pack the Calvin House and blacks and whites share fellowship while honoring many of the fine local students and dignitaries of all races.
Beyond the yearly mystery surrounding the suit color of local chapter president and emcee Don Witherspoon - last Saturday night, it was a conservative blue - there are a number of memorable moments.
The best one this year was the immediate standing ovation for Yasmin Ingham. She accepted an award for her late husband, Staff Sgt. Matt Ingham, who died in Afghanistan in January.
Mirror Managing Editor Neil Rudel can be reached at 946-7527 or nrudel@altoonamirror.com.
