Top stories in July 2014 - Facebook, email, and web

Who is reading what?

Since we began the Shoreline Area News in 2009, the metrics for tracking and analyzing stories have upgraded across all platforms. We used to publish the top 5 stories each month, which were the stories with the largest number of web hits. We had to stop when we were invaded by a couple of sites which artificially inflated the numbers and made them unreliable.

With the new metrics, it has become clear that our different editions have different reader groups with different interests. Combining those numbers would not give an accurate picture nor would it give you information about stories you missed that you would be interested in.

So, these are the separate numbers for our Facebook friends, our email subscribers, and those who find us on the web - most often through links from our news partners The Seattle Times and King 5.com. Web users include the small but growing number of Twitter only readers (@ShorelineArea), as well as those who just Google for us.

Stories are listed in order of popularity.

Facebook (Shoreline Area News)

1. Families invited to attend (YMCA)
2. Live and local (July 30)
3. Meridian Park Classic Car Show
4. On the mayor's mind (shop Shoreline)
5. Save this: 10 days of Celebrate Shoreline
6. Quick Start Shoreline (July 29)

On the email edition (subscribe here)

1. Learn how to create and care for bonsai
2. Have fun at NW SolarFest this Saturday
3. Author of The Boys in the Boat to speak
4. Brown Bear Free Car Wash Day
5. Letter to the Editor: Chris Eggen

From the web

1. Photo: Black helicopters at Richmond Beach
2. Lake Forest Park street overlay project
3. Crime in Shoreline A-Z (Rethink the doggie door)