Online Readership on the Rise, But Not for Everyone

We know that as a reader of this little corner of the Internet that you’re a savvy, smart, sophisticated person—that or you can’t figure out how to work the mouse and click away from here. Bostonist would like to think it’s the former. We’re going to play make-believe for a minute think that we’ve been stealing away visitors from the Boston Globe’s website...Ok, Playtime over. Boston.com we know is ten, but losing readers?

Thanks to the RatcliffeBlog tip we turned our attention to the Neilsen/NetRatings report recently released. Since this time last year online newspaper readership has increased for many players in the game; SFGate, NYtimes.com, LATimes.com, and others have been gaining significant online ground in the past year. The New York Times online edition drew 15% more visitors than it did this time last year. But despite the 10th birthday party they’ve been throwing themselves this past month, Boston.com was the only major newspaper to see a reduction in online readers. Other newspaper and media franchises called it a wash. Online hits were up, but only days before came news of declining print distribution across the board. Bostonist hopes that the Boston Globe’s double whammy of fewer online hits and reduced print circulation doesn’t spell trouble for our two-newspaper town. Maybe the newest promotion from the Globe will help. Prepaid print subscription and a Best Buy gift card, that way we can get a Nano to play that GlobeCast.

The Neilsent/NetRatings report also indicates that college grads who are also making between $100k and $150k are statistically likely to hop on line—if you’re making $100k mind slipping Bostonist a little of that green, we’re blogging for free here people.