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Bee survey

by Geoff Samek, published on March 30, 2009 at 8:10 AM

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This survey was conducted of The Sacramento Bee, from Monday, March 23rd to Sunday, March 29th. The aim of the survey was to pinpoint how much of the written content of The Bee was written by The Bee and of that content how much was local and how much was not.

Each day was divided into the sections of the paper. Sections of the paper that had no attributable articles were simply not included. Within each section, all the different publications were separated out on to their own lines, with special lines for local Bee content and McClatchy content (from the Washngton bureau, or a foreign bureau).

Each mark per line denotes an attribution for a piece of text.

Shortcomings of this survey:

  • While thorough, I am not a professional statistician
  • Images were NOT included as a part of this survey
  • There was lots of content that had no attribution and was likely organized by editorial staff
  • Weather was excluded from this survey
  • There is some degree of subjectivity as to what is local or not, I tended to err on the side of counting more as local

 

Monday, March 23, 2009
Total: 70
Bee: 27
Bee/Local: 16

A) Front (Total: 25 Bee: 7 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
New York Times: ||
Miami Herald: |
Washington Post: |
Oakland Tribune: |
Special to the Bee: |

B) Our Region (Total: 9 Bee: 9 Bee/Local: 9)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||

C) Sports (Total: 25 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 4)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||

Orange County Register: ||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Newsday: ||
New York Times: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

D) Books & Media (Living Here) (Total: 11 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||

Universal Press Syndicate: |
Horoscopes: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Associated Press: |
Kansas City Star: |

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 
Total: 84
Bee: 46
Bee/Local: 30
McClatchy: 4

A) Front (Total: 28 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 2 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The sacramento Bee Local: ||
McClatchy: |||

New York Times: ||
Washington Post: ||
Associated Press: ||||| |||||
Los Angeles Times: ||
National Review: |
Special to the Bee: |

B) Our Region (Total: 27 Bee: 24 Bee/Local: 21 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |
McClatchy: |

Associated Press: |||

C) Sports (Total: 18 Bee: 7 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: |||||

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |

D) Living Here (Family) (Total: 11 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||

Washington Post: |
Horoscopes: |
Minneapolis Star Tribune: |
Universal Press Syndicate: |
Scripps Howard News Service: |
Carol Abaya Associates: |
United Media: |

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Total: 118
Bee: 49
Bee/Local: 34
McClatchy: 3

A) Front (Total: 45 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 3 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The sacramento Bee Local: |||
McClatchy: |||

New York Times: |||||
Associate Press: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |
Los Angeles Times: |||||
Washington Post: |
Kathleen Parker (Washington Post?): |
San Diego Union Tribune: |

B) Our Region (Total: 32 Bee: 24 Bee/Local: 21)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||
Fresno Bee: |
New York Times: |

C) Sports (Total: 19 Bee: 9 Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

Associated Press: ||||| ||
Newsday: |
Ventura County Star: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

D) Food & Wine (Living Here) (Total: 8 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||

New York Times: |
Washington Post: |
Chicago Tribune: |

E) Fun & Games (Total: 4 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Universal Press Syndicate: |
Horoscopes: |
MarketWatch: |
Gloria Glyer: |

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Total: 89
Bee: 53
Bee/Local: 34
McClatchy: 5

A) Front (Total: 27 Bee: 14 Bee/Local: 4 McClatchy: 4)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||
McClatchy: ||||

Los Angeles Times: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||
New York Times: |||||
Washington Post: ||
Denver Post: |
Public Policy Institute: |

B) Our Region (Total: 32 Bee: 26 Bee/Local: 20 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| |||||
McClatchy: |

Associated Press: |||
Fresno Bee: |
Washington Post: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

C) Sports (Total: 21 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 8)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| |||

Washington Post: |
San Jose Mercury News: |
Associated Press: ||||| |||

D) Outbound (Living Here) (Total: 9 Bee: 2 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||

Columbia News Service: |
Universal Press Syndicate: |
Horoscopes: |
Associated Press: |
Fresno Bee: |
Western Outdoor News: |
United Media: |

Friday, March 27, 2009
Total: 124
Bee: 68
Bee/Local: 49
McClatchy: 1

A) Front (Total: 34 Bee: 13 Bee/Local: 5 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||
McClatchy: |

New York Times: ||||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
Los Angeles Times: |
Anna Tuttle Villegas (individual): |
Washington Post: |
Tribune Media: |

B) Our Region (Total: 31 Bee: 27 Bee/Local: 26)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||

C) Sports (Total: 26 Bee: 8 Bee/Local: 6)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||||
Washington Examiner: |
San Jose Mercury News: |
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: |

D) Drive (Total: 3 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Wheelbase Communications: ||
Click and Clack: |


Ticket (Total: 6 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 4)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||

Tribune News: ||

Movie Guide (Total: 9 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Associated Press: |
Orlando Sentinel: ||
Miami Herald: |
St. Petersburg Times: |

J) Style (Total: 15, Bee: 12, Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

Washington Post: |
Horoscopes: |
United Media: |

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Total: 100
Bee: 48
Bee/Local: 32
McClatchy: 2

A) Front (Total: 30 Bee: 10 Bee/Local: 2 McClatchy: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||
McClatchy: ||

New York Times: |||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Los Angeles Times: |
Special to the Bee: |
National Review: |

B) Our Region (Total: 25 Bee: 21 Bee/Local: 16)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: |||
New York Times: |

C) Sports (Total: 26 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 9)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||

San Jose Mercury News: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
Special to the Bee: |

D) Home & Garden (Living Here) (Total: 14 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||

Heloise.com: |
UC Cooperative Extension: |
Baltimore Sun: |
King Features Syndicate: ||
Creators Syndicate: |
Orlando Sentinel: |
McClatchy Tribune: |

E) Fun & Games (Total: 5 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Universal Press Syndicate: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Horoscope: |
Tribune Media Services: |
United Media: |

Sunday, March 29, 2009
Total: 134
Bee: 57
Bee/Local: 35
McClatchy: 3

A) Front (Total: 28 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 0 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local:
McClatchy: |||

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Bee news service: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Fresno Bee: |
Washington Post: ||||
New York Times: ||

B) Our Region (Total: 13 Bee: 12 Bee/Local: 11)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| |

Oroville Mercury-Register: |

C) Sports (Total: 29 Bee: 8 Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

New York Times: |
Newsday: |
Dayton Daily News: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
News & Observer: |
Denver Post: |
Dallas Morning News: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Charlotte Observer: |

D) Business (Total: 13 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Associated Press: |||
Los Angeles Times: ||
The Motley Fool: |
Wall Street Journal: ||||| ||

E) Forum (Total: 12 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Special to the Bee: ||
New York Times: |
Washington Post: ||
Miami Herald: |

L) Health & Fitness (Living Here) (Total: 18 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||

New York Times: |
McClatchy Newspapers: |
United Feature Syndicate: |
Universal Press Syndicate: |
Washington Post: ||
Horoscopes: |

Explore (Arts & Travel) (Total: 21 Bee: 15 Bee/Local: 11)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| |

Pittsburg Post-Gazette: |
Scripps Howard News Service: |
Tribune Media Services: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Orange County Register: |
Cox Newspapers: | 

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Conversation Express your views, debate, and be heard with those in your area closest to the issue.RSS Feed

March 30, 2009 | 10:48 AM
The data is difficult to digest. The Huh? factor kicked in.
Bottomline: The Bee eventually will add many more citizen journalists to its staff, while retaining a handful of real pros for the heavy lifting. They have the brand, too. Both publications can coexist as long as they're not on exact planes. Sac Press offers a unique perspective, but it cannot compete with the Big Bee - even on a strictly local level. Bee bankruptcy could change everything.
3 0
REPLY
March 30, 2009 | 11:04 AM
I will provide further analysis of the above data tomorrow. Some of this data is analyzed in the subsequent article. The key numbers to look at at the totals for each day. They give the most concise look at what the numbers mean.

Whether The Bee will add more citizen journalists is far from certain. They launched a campaign for citizen journalists over a year ago, never marketed it, then quietly killed the project. Nothing is stopping them from doing exactly what we are doing and doing it with the muscle and recognition of The Bee. But they haven't.
2 0
REPLY
Dan
Author thumbnail
March 30, 2009 | 10:29 PM
Maybe they quit it because there are significant logistical problems relying on unpaid or near-unpaid staff to provide work for a publication that has hard deadlines and a daily news hole to fill. This site has been up for how many months and you still let press releases and ghost stories to share the same river as any other legitimate content? The complaint from the Bee's detractors is that it's dying in part because it has less time and resources for important news and for allowing more fluff, and you think at the same time, the solution is to draw from a source that invariably provides less harder news?
0 0
REPLY
March 30, 2009 | 9:14 PM
So about 30 local stories in the Bee per day, a lot of AP and a smattering of other sources. I think what we'll begin to see is decentralization of news gathering and editing. On par with the revolution in community oriented policing 20 years ago, Big Newspapers will soon realize they have become too centralized and become more community oriented. Local again. Wait, where have I heard that before?
0 0
REPLY
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