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In Wairarapa, weather and crime are good sellers. FILE PHOTO

What sells newspapers?

There's been a marked contrast over the last two weeks between what will make people stop and buy the newspaper and what will make them click on a story, online.

A newspaper is frequently accused of punting for retail sales with the bad news story on the front. In effect this is usually the strongest news story, the best read, and this has been standard practice for a century or more. A media company is hardly going to apologise for providing what the market is inclined to be attracted to.

Our story of the double-murderer being spotted by the daughter of one of his victims at Panama Village was a record seller, as well as an extraordinarily unusual story.

But as I look across the papers of my five sister publications in the North Island, there are strong cultural and societal differences in what communities hunger to see. Jobs and property, for example, are top sellers in places like Tauranga and Rotorua.

Council-bashing make for popular sellers in localities where council's aren't doing well. In Wairarapa, weather and crime are good sellers.

Contrast this to the week's top online items, as depicted in Best of the Web on page 2. Earning the highest number of views are two success stories of young people, both originating from Wairarapa College. And one of the highest online views of the month has been a straightforward, inside-page item on a young woman, Renee Tomuri, who came second in a Bridal Makeup competition. She didn't win it, she came second. And her story was viewed 13,000 times.

Part of it is the nature of social media, where the younger reader will delight in the success of their friends, and share the story around. But for me it is an endorsement to one of the basic principles of journalism: find people who are doing good work and praise them for it. We are showcasing them as the behaviour we want to see in our young people.

Media has never doubted that young, successful roles models are good for a paper. Pre-internet, it was endorsed through thank-yous and photo orders. Now it's through views on Facebook.

But it's not just about being good for a paper. These role models are important for our community. We're just keen to hear from more.