An editor has paid tribute to his staff after they defied foul weather to achieve a record-breaking month at their county-wide news website.
Devon Live achieved 13,688,370 page views during March, a month during which heavy snow fell across the county on two occasions leaving many reporters stranded away from the office.
Editor Patrick Phelvin said the team have been close to achieving 10 million page views in a single month for several months, but the bad weather coverage had pushed them over the landmark figure.
The March figure was 45pc up on the same period in 2017.
Firefighters clear away snow from a hospital car park in Tiverton – one of the stories which saw Devon Live reach its page view record
Patrick told HTFP: “If February had been a day longer we’d have crossed the 10m mark then.
“The team pulled out all the stops in March, despite several of them not being able to make it into the office. We had people working from their kitchen tables, their cars and from roadside cafes but somehow managed to maintain our service.
“When the A38 was closed with snow some of our staff were up well into the early hours to ensure the latest information was available to those stuck in the ensuing queue and the police were able to get their messages out. Not for the first time it felt we were carrying out an important public service.
“Our efforts were rewarded with huge spikes in audience which we were able to maintain for considerable periods. We also saw a significant increase in search referrals and social media followers so the coverage should give us a long-term boost.”
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
“10 million page views”
Wow!!
How much revenue did that bring.
Umm, any truth in the rumour that up to 14 jobs are as risk throughout TM’s Devon and Cornwall empire? (Not including, of course, those who have been shifted sideways now as new Local Democracy Reporters)
Report this comment
It’s no rumour. Hard-working journos in Devon and Cornwall are being rewarded for their record-breaking efforts with a regionalised content desk based in Plymouth and as many as 14 jobs going across three centres. There will be fewer reporters covering the two counties and those remaining will be more stretched than ever. That’s what the ‘Live Project’ really means.
Report this comment
“… a significant increase in search referrals and social media followers so the coverage should give us a long-term boost.”
In what way?
How much hard cold cash does this equate to?
These fresh air figures are completely pointless to a business , sorry but that’s what it is, nothing more, if the sales people cannot monetise the numbers. Stop fooling yourselves that they’re of any value, they’re not and you’re living in a fools paradise if you think they are
Report this comment
“…people working from their kitchen tables, their cars and from roadside cafes…”
Let’s just hope their sterling effort doesn’t become a rod for their own backs and is seen as a good way of making cost savings by closing offices with staff all remote working.
And yes , the numbers are utterly pointless and of no value unless the sales people convert the viewing numbers to actual advertising spend.
Report this comment
@Prospectus Sadly it seems those sterling efforts will count for naught as consultation is taking place once again as what was lean is now being cut to the marrow.
Now then.
Didn’t the BBC claim that they were creating 150 new jobs……?
“Local Democracy Reporter Service created up to 150 new journalism jobs to help fill a gap in the reporting of local democracy issues across the UK.
Why yes they did! Hmmmmm. I know of two former TM journos west of Bristol who are now LDR’s. Side-stepping rather than creating a new job – because TM sure as hell haven’t replaced those two.
Report this comment