The Gift of a Widening Readership

Volume 7, Issue No. 5

OPINION/COMMENTARY

/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /

. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . 

Our latest as of Thursday, July 31, 2025 

~ Looks like readers of this online magazine have gifted me with something priceless on this seventh year of serving the community through news reporting. Much to my big surprise is the steep rise in readership, from 5,251 in June to nearly 8,000 and counting this July, so far away from the monthly average of 1,000 plus. I suppose the numbers speak of trust and reliability of reporting. 

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READERS FLOOD FILIPINO WEB MAGAZINE  

Sea Change in Reading Habits

Notable Is the Big Jump in Numbers

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ 

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"Journalists should be watchdogs, not lapdogs." - Newton Lee

TORONTO - A heartwarming development happened these past two months, i.e. an avalanche of readers is swamping this online Filipino Web Magazine (FWM).

To naysayers, I'm just too happy to invite you all to take a look and find out for yourselves why thousands, repeat thousands, are taking time to peruse the articles I've written about our community and our people.

Without sounding too boastful, it's only in FWM that readers could get some enlightenment in what's happening in our neighbourhood and why our performative role-players shy away from investigative journalism.

Most, if not all, of our community periodicals (or at least those that still exist) focus on socials and entertainment, basically ignoring meaningful developments impacting our lives.

It seems to me there's a realization going on that news coverage by the local media, superficial as it is, is devoted to the same organizations and group of people who are forever addicted to seeing their names and faces splashed in the papers.

FWM does not do that as a matter of editorial and personal policy. Positive online exposure is limited to people deserving recognition for their accomplishments.

And for those who engage in scams and perpetrate fraud, there is no stopping in highlighting them even at the risk of physical threats and lawsuits. That's how investigative journalism works.

I launched the online magazine in 2019 after losing the print platform I thought was home for seven years. I stood for principle, and that was not good enough unless I also succumb to lying and rumor-mongering.

That was a big fat no-no in journalism. I still believe in what Virgil, the ancient Roman poet, said: "The noblest motive is the public good." It was the motto of the Manila Chronicle, the daily newspaper that gave birth to my journalism career.

This month and last, I found it exhilarating when the numbers from Google analytics came in. For June, for example, the number of readers stood at 5,251 which was way above the previous months.

FWM was averaging a little over a thousand a month. So, the June figure was quite astonishing. But wait, a big surprise was coming to upend that number. Now it's July, and the number keeps rising, settling at 7,892 as of this writing today, Thursday, July 31.

I was happy with having an average of 1,000+ readers a month. But to see nearly 8,000 readers this month alone spending time to digest the articles is truly fascinating! It's a sea change by all means.

I can only see that as an indication of a growing multitude seeking factual, honest, and trustworthy journalism about the community and the issues affecting them. 

The general feeling, I believe, is that FWM is filling a vacuum in information not readily available in Filipino periodicals. As it is, our media is engrossed in shallow entertainment fare which has no redeeming value.

People need to know, want to know, credible answers not only to the who, what, when, where, and how queries, but more importantly, to the why question. For example, how can one trust a person with four aliases posting to social media exaggerated claims about Taste of Manila?

That's where it matters. The why question usually unlocks secrets and selfish, even criminal, motives; that's the reason persons in authority avoid being pegged for an exhaustive interview.

This shift in readership implies that confidence is being placed on the FWM articles to such an extent one can talk about them in good authority. There's certainty in the facts, an assurance that readers are not being lied to.

Seven years is a long time to build trust. And once it's earned, readers come in droves. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).