SANATOGA PA – The Sanatoga Post joined some rarefied company Friday (March 2, 2102): it became only the eighth online news service in Pennsylvania, and the first outside of Philadelphia, to be the subject of a lengthy feature article written for the nation’s oldest media monitoring publication, the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR).

Managing Editor Joe Zlomek

The CJR story, here, which characterizes Post Managing Editor Joe Zlomek as “a one-man news network” in the Commonwealth, was part of its expanding “Guide To Online News Start-Ups.” The guide, according to CJR editors, is intended as “a tool for those who study or pursue online journalism; a window into that world for the uninitiated; and, like any journalistic product, a means by which to shed light on an important topic.”

Thousands of local, area and regional digital news sites exist across the country but so far about 270, including The Post, have been profiled by CJR.

Reporter Erik Shilling interviewed Zlomek for the piece in early February. Shilling’s article relates most of their discussion, including Zlomek’s views on editorial opinions produced by the media; his career as a newspaper reporter, editor and publisher; the origins of The Post and its evolving news coverage, and his daily workload in producing the Sanatoga edition as well those covering Pottstown, Limerick and specialty topics.

It notes that in the three years since its launch The Post has captured 10 percent of the readership in a market of about 50,000 residents. The story accurately cites independently measured December circulation statistics for The Post and its network that then pegged the readership at 5,830 people. During January that number jumped 27 percent higher, to 7,369 people.

The Post’s readership is verified for advertisers by both Quantcast and Google Analytics.

During 2010 The Post Publications collectively were chosen by Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellow Michele McLellan as among the 14 best mini-sites in the U.S. for community news.

CJR was founded in 1961 in New York City by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. It “examines day-to-day press performance as well as the forces that affect that performance,” according to its mission statement.