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  Regional press news - this story published 03 July 2007

Record figures for 'community lifeline' website as floods strike

by holdthefrontpage staff

The Grimsby Telegraph proved itself online last week as floods swept across its circulation area.

Its front page lead on Monday was changed on deadline to reflect the impending problems.

But the main news was breaking minute by minute after the edition had gone to press. And the newsroom equalled the challenge – using www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk to keep readers informed with up-to-the minute news on flooding, road and school closures.

Editor Michelle Lalor said the result was "staggering".

  • The website was updated with 33 breaking news snaps during Monday, pinpointing areas of flooding and road closures. By Saturday there were 80 breaking news stories on the floods, with e-mail alerts sent to registered users guiding them to news on the site.
  • Within minutes of posting these updates readers were posting their own comments – and pointing news staff to the areas most badly hit. More than 500 comments have been posted so far.
  • People used the site as an information service, telling others which roads were open.
  • Some 200 reader pictures were sent in and three readers videos posted on the site. All the photos have been published in the newspaper too.
  • There were 10,468 unique visitors on the news section of the site on Monday, compared with the usual 3,000, with 71,814 page views – more than 20,000 up on the normal figures. By the end of the week they had 24,405 unique visitors making 188,178 page views – a record.
  • Despite the weather 3,700 extra sales were generated.

    Michelle said: "This was the week the Grimsby Telegraph showed just how effective its website and newspaper can be when they work side-by-side in this way.

    "Our website provided an up-to-the-minute public information service for our readers at a time when they were desperate for news as it happened and it was fantastic that they knew we were there for them.

    "The team, led by news editor Lucy Wood, did a fantastic job."




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