THIS WEEK will see the passing of another two  milestones, for Newsroom Panama, as it records its 10,000th published item since the site was launched just over four years ago, and a new high in site visits..

All the items are accessible through the search box on the home page.

The news platform has expanded from less than 3000 visits a month to more than 85,000 including over 1,200 who receive every morning on their desktop or mobile, a link to the main stories of the day.  Its readers come from across the world with the US, Panama, and Canada leading the pack. Since the launch it has provided news, features, business reports,  entertainment reviews, photos and commentary on local and even world events, 365 days a  year  (with the exception of one five-day spell due to  an unplanned ICU visit, and one day when the system was down, and our techies worked  through the night to restore service).  The rest of the time, including hospital stays, and overseas travel, Newsroom has continued (to supply its readers with a wide variety of material, and the service is ‘’Free.’’

That four letter word  has not deterred armchair critics, and would be scribes, many of whom have never faced  news deadline from weighing in  in with  their advice, and sometimes abuse,  ranging from choice of subject … of no interest to Panama … tabloid journalism … that’s not news … not enough focus on Panama … bad editing …. to allegations of right wing/ left wing bias … a mouthpiece for a, b, or c. Rarely a word of constructive criticism, although there  are some of the silent majority who have written  or approached me personally to express appreciation.

 Often the condemned items turn out be the “most read” of the week.

One irate reader challenged the use of the title “Off the Cuff” which allows editorial comment on news items and receives hundreds of visits every day. It too frequently makes the “most read” list.

The comments section continues to attract folks with multiple opinions, from the thoughtful and well-reasoned, to political punditry, partisanship, jingoism and to the strident, outrageous, and even profane

Contrary to the belief of some, no block is applied even to those who come under the last category. The comments are not read until they are already on site. Readers make their own decisions on the quality of the contribution to the debate.

COMING UP
Time  is always  in short supply at Newsroom, but,  at the request of many readers, we  are planning to re-introduce the coming events calendar. If you are involved in any group or organization that you feel may benefit from using the service, feel free to send the information well in advance to editor@newsroom.com

We will also be increasing our coverage of travel news, in Panama, Latin America and around the world.

Meanwhile keep your comments coming and, if you are not getting daily notifications in your e-mail, sign up today. It’s Free