Newspapers that Twitter: February/March roundup

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More newspapers are sending updates and headlines via Twitter. Here’s how the newspaper Twitter count looked on April 1.

The overkill award goes to the Star Tribune, which sent 2,645 updates in March. For comparison, Twitter founder Biz Stone has sent 2,274 updates since March 2006.

Top 5 newspaper Twitter users in March:
• @startribune: 2,645 updates
• @asheville: 1,362 updates
• @nytimes: 1,231 updates
• @nj_news: 1,134 updates
• @nyt_biz: 1,094 updates

The Star Ledger’s @nj_news saw the largest increase in the number of followers from Feb. 14 to April 1. (Previous counts were taken on Dec. 14, Jan. 15 and Feb. 14. In an attempt at consistency, I’ve decided the first of each month makes more sense.) The Los Angeles Times had three accounts with more than a 100 percent increase (@latimesbreaking, @latimestravel and @latimesnation). The top five with the greatest increase of followers:
• @nj_news: 353.85 percent
• @themeparks (Orlando Sentinel): 315.91 percent
• @latimesbreaking: 306.67 percent
• @latimestravel: 148.72 percent
• @birmingham_news: 138.89 percent

Only the Los Angeles Times’ @latimesfires, which reported on California wildfires in October, saw a decrease in followers — down 1.05 percent. Once the “season” starts again, the number of followers will likely increase.

NEWSPAPER	TWITTER USERNAME	FEB. 14	APRIL 1	CHANGE
Ann Arbor News	@annarbornews		28
	@mlive		260
	@detroit_tigers		68
Asheville Citizen Times	@asheville		24
Birmingham News	@birmingham_news	18	43	138.89%
Charlotte Observer	@theobserver	51	78	52.94%
Chicago Sun-Times	@suntimes	15	17	13.33%
	@cst_ent		0
	@cst_fashion		1
	@cst_roeper		6
Chicago Tribune	@chicagotribune	103	145	40.78%
Contra Costa Times	@cctimes		12
Denver Post	@denverpost		34
	@denverbroncos		3
	@rocktober		4
Des Moines Register	@dmregister		14
Des Moines Register	@dmrsports		3
Flint Journal	@flintjournal	13	16	23.08%
Fort Wayne Daily News	@fwdailynews		8
The Fresno Bee	@fresnobee		32
The Fresno Bee	@fresnobeehive		31
Globe Gazette	@globegazette	24	30	25%
Grand Island Independent	@theindependent		12
Honolulu Star Bulletin	@starbulletin		59
Knoxville News Sentinel	@knoxnews	87	126	44.83%
Lancaster News	@lancasternews	12	19	58.33%
Lawrence Journal World	@ljworld	30	45	50%
Los Angeles Daily News	@ladailynews		61
Los Angeles Times	@latimesbreaking	30	122	306.67%
	@latimesbiz	30	55	83.33%
	@latimesent	18	28	55.56%
	@latimesfires	190	188	-1.05%
	@latimeslocal	35	59	68.57%
	@latimesmost	18	35	94.44%
	@latimesnational	31	67	116.13%
	@latimessports	23	34	47.83%
	@latimestravel	39	97	148.72%
	@latimesworld	18	32	77.78%
Marshall News Messenger	@marshallnews		5
The Modesto Bee	@modbee		45
Nashua Telegraph	@nashuatelegraph	105	118	12.38%
	@telegraphpats		6
	@telegraphsox		14
New York Times	@nytimes	1,877	2,755	46.78%
	@nyt_arts	260	384	47.69%
	@nyt_biz	270	390	44.44%
	@nyt_books	241	341	41.49%
	@nyt_food	187	277	48.13%
	@nyt_health	136	202	48.53%
	@nyt_metro	118	164	38.98%
	@nyt_movies	256	351	37.11%
	@nyt_national	228	332	45.61%
	@nyt_politics	212	337	58.96%
	@nyt_science	241	455	88.8%
	@nyt_style	167	242	44.91%
	@nyt_travel	143	212	48.25%
	@nyt_weather	72	109	51.39%
	@nyt_world	262	334	27.48%
The News & Observer	@newsobserver		69
The News Tribune	@thenewstribune		30
The Oklahoman	@newsok		17
The Oklahoman	@newsok_bn		15
The Oregonian	@oregonian	215	304	41.4%
	@oregonianbiz	35	62	77.14%
	@oregonianent		7
	@oregoniansports	46	59	28.26%
	@oregoniantraff	38	55	44.74%
Orlando Sentinel	@orlandosentinel	358	448	25.14%
	@ostraffic		4
	@themeparks	44	183	315.91%
Pocono Record	@poconorecord		11
Post-Standard	@poststandard	12	17	41.67%
Red Eye	@redeyechicago	100	135	35%
San Francisco Chronicle	@sfchron_alert		74
Santa Cruz Sentinel	@scsentinel		22
Seattle Post-Intelligencer	@seattlepi		19
Sioux City Journal	@scj	1	2	100%
South Florida Sun-Sentinel	@sunsentinel		11
Spokesman Review	@spokesmanreview		22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch	@stltoday	51	64	25.49%
	@hwy40	104	113	8.65%
	@pdvoxpop	47	83	76.6%
The Star-Ledger	@nj_news	13	59	353.85%
	@nj_business	9	11	22.22%
	@nj_giants	46	67	45.65%
Star Tribune	@startribune	35	44	25.71%
The Times of Northwest Indiana	@nwi	28	35	25%
The Times of Northwest Indiana	@nwiprepsports	47	47	0%
The Times-Tribune	@timestribune		2
Tribune Star	@tribstar	4	7	75%
USA Today	@ondeadline		114
	@popcandy		1,013
	@usatonpolitics		114
Wall Street Journal	@wsj		360

Learn more about any of these Twitter users at tweetstats.com/graphs/TWITTER USERNAME

Note: I have added newspapers to the list as I discover they’re on Twitter. Usually, that’s soon after they join. Sometimes it’s later. Know of a paper using Twitter that isn’t on the list? Tell me about it.

New since Feb. 14:
• @seattlepi: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Wash. The first post was March 18.
• @cst_ent, @cst_fashion, @cst_roeper: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago. These three accounts were used for the Oscars and had followers that night; the last post was Feb. 25.
• @dmregister and @dmrsports: Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa. The first posts were Feb. 18.
• @newsok and @newsok_bn: The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Okla. @newsok’s first post was Aug. 16. The account was not used again until March 12. @newsok_BN began posting on March 11.
• @oregonianent: The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. First post was Feb. 22
• @ostraffic: Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Fla. Two posts on Feb. 11

New-to-me Twitter users:
• @annarbornews, @mlive and @detroit_tigers: Ann Arbor News, Ann Arbor, Mich. @annarbornews had three updates in November, but nothing since then. Read Shawn Smith’s posts to learn more about @mlive.
• @asheville: Asheville Citizen Times, Asheville, N.C. First posted in November.
• @cctimes: Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. There were two updates in March 2007.
• @denverpost, @denverbroncos and @rocktober: Denver Post, Denver, Colo. All three accounts started in October.
• @fwdailynews: Fort Wayne Daily News, Fort Wayne, Ind. There was one post in November, but nothing sense then.
• @fresnobee and @fresnobeehive: The Fresno Bee, Fresno, Calif. @fresnobee started in August; @fresnobeehive started in September.
• @theindependent: Grand Island Independent, Grand Island, Neb. Started posting in November
• @starbullletin: Honolulu Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii. Started posting in October.
• @ladailynews: LA Daily News, Los Angeles. Started posting in June.
• @marshallnews: Marshall News Messenger, Marshall, Texas. There were 13 posts in November
• @modbee: The Modesto Bee, Modesto, Calif. Begain posting in September.
• @telegraphpats and @telegraphsox: The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H. Both first posted in October
• @newsobserver: The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. Began posting in December
• @thenewstribune: The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. One post on Sept. 19
• @sfchron_alert: San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, Calif. Account was created and updated in November, but wasn’t used again until February
• @scsentinel: Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, Calif. Account was created and updated in July, but has not been used since then.
• @scj: Sioux City Journal, Sioux City, Iowa. The account was used in January and February