Journalism has undergone many changes over the past five decades, revolutionized once by the television and then again by the Internet. Watergate also played a role in altering the role of the press, as reporters became more aggressive and hard-hitting and increasingly critical of government leaders.

Media organizations routinely make crucial editorial and business decisions based on Web usage and traffic. Yet precisely measuring the size of Internet audiences can be difficult, and it is often fraught with conflicting data. Interpreting such fractured online metrics affects how news organizations understand their audiences, evaluate their competitors and sell advertising.