Mason Jones (Reporter)
NORMALLY things go quiet in the middle of summer as Spain goes on holiday.
And, while the Olive Press’ newspaper edition has seen a bit of an August dip, the website itself has gone completely the other way.
In fact, our site theolivepress.es has pushed on so much over the last two months, that this week we have zoomed up to 76,289 in the world rankings, according to Alexa.com.
To put things in perspective, this is out of 30 MILLION websites – and installs us three times ahead of Euro Weekly News (222,000) and Sur in English, which sits at the 253,000 mark.
It also puts us in front of Typicallyspanish.com for the first time in six years.
According to Alexa we are now the 2,587 most important website in Spain – and, most importantly, the number one in English – coming even in front of Andalucia.com (2,760).
This has come hand in hand with a string of big exclusive stories, followed up around the world.
The 799 websites linking into us include international media organisations such as the Daily Mail, Guardian and Bild, as well as the Huffington Post and the New York Times.
Yes, the website is now taken seriously around the world, bringing in regular readers from dozens of countries.
This month alone we have had nearly 150,000 visitors, with around 90,000 of them ‘uniques’.
Moreover the PDF version of the newspaper is being read by between 50,000 and 60,000 on the site each issue, more than we actually print.
That said, this autumn we are expanding more on the Costa del Sol, strengthening our distribution in Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Fuengirola, as well as putting more papers out in Marbella.
All in all, it stands to be a very exciting run-up to Christmas, with the paper becoming a household name among the expats on the coast and inland.
As our market research currently being compiled will show next issue, the vast majority of you are now managing to find the paper and many are even using us as your internet ‘home page’.
It just begs the question: If you have a business out there not working with the Olive Press… isn’t it about time you gave us a go?
That’s great news and well deserved. Keep up the good work!!!
We love reading the OP! Congrats on the Award – you earned it!
It’s all down to the reader/contributors, of course.
Congratulations. One day The Olive Press may catch up with the 1.2 million print circulation of other tabloids like the Weekly World News. Or actually selling in print like the Sur. The web statistics are good, admittedly, but the story is incomplete. There is little competition or demand for English language news in Spain (evidenced by the fact that you can’t sell an English language paper in Spain – you have to give it away in bundles).
However, while tooting your horn about how people should advertise in The Olive Press I would run things by your editor twice. Check the following statement:
“It just begs the question: If you have a business out there not working with the Olive Press… isn’t it about time you gave us a go?”
It actually does not “beg the question.” ‘Begging the question’ is a term that refers to an informal logical fallacy whereby a point relies upon its own premise to prove itself. Begging the question does not mean to ask, raise, or indicate an actual question.
In proper English you actually say, “It ‘raises’ the question.”
Details about the English language are important, especially if you’re the #1 English language site in a foreign country.
“Begs the question” is fine – it is a well used phrase and readily understood. Reality needs to get back to class and stop being a pedantic bore.
Fred – ““Begs the question” is fine – it is a well used phrase and readily understood.”
It’s definitely understood – no one is going to confuse it with the informal fallacy (petitio principii) that the phrase actually designates. This is because most people don’t know any better. They aren’t aware of what “begging the question” means and never learn when and when not to use the expression. Almost everyone uses the phrase incorrectly in daily speech. And that’s fine if you’re a random guy drinking in a bar.
However, anyone who is a writer – especially a journalist – should know the difference. The expression is being used incorrectly. This is just a fact.
It’s especially embarrassing if you’ve got basic mistakes like this in an article touting the success and professionalism of your publication.
It’s only you who are confused, Reality. The more you write, the more you make yourself look a fool. Keep it short. Smart we like, smart arse we don’t.
Fred, I’m beginning to like you again…
´begging the question´ is a well-known and understood phrase
Reality… as in you certainly need to get a grip on it!
Perhaps you have a company that needs some extra business?
Jon Clarke
Publisher
The Olive Press
If I did have a company that needed some expat business I’d definitely still advertise here – even if the grammar is bad.