By SUZANNE DOWNING
Aug. 4, 2026 – The Alaska Story today marks nine months since we published our first news articles on Nov. 4, 2025.
We came out of the gate running, and we have not slowed down. In just 273 days, The Alaska Story has published 1,967 stories and approved more than 12,320 reader comments.
Our Facebook community is closing in on 22,000 followers, while our content there has generated 44.7 million Facebook views and 1.1 million interactions. All without boosting our content; we haven’t paid Facebook to push our stories.
Traffic at TheAlaskaStory.com remains strong. Similarly, we are not buying Google ads or other services to increase the reach — this is all organic.
The six-month chart shows a remarkably steady readership, typically reaching hundreds of thousands of visitors, with several major spikes as Alaskans turned to us for stories they were not finding elsewhere.
About 32,000 Alaskans receive The Alaska Story newsletter three times a week. Roughly 1.152,000 newsletter editions sent to these Alaskans were opened in the past nine months. The newsletter is in the top 100 newsletters in the news category on the Substack platform, ranking at 66 presently. Substack is widely regarded as the leading platform for independent, subscription-based newsletters in the USA
But the numbers tell only part of the story.
The Alaska Story exists because readers click, read, comment and share. You send news tips, story ideas and, thankfully, corrections. You contribute guest editorials, photographs, and firsthand accounts from communities across the state. Many of you also provide the financial support that keeps this independent Alaska news operation going. That is huge.
We could not do this alone. The Alaska Story is a true statewide community of readers who care deeply about Alaska and want reporting and commentary that speak plainly about the issues shaping our future.
And we are making an impact.
The next three months promise to be among our busiest yet. Alaska’s primary election is Aug. 18, followed by the general election on Nov. 3. Between now and then, voters will make some of the most consequential decisions of their lives about the people who lead our state, represent us in Washington, and shape public policy closer to home.
We are dedicated to bringing you the news, analysis and commentary you will not find anywhere else in the world. We will follow the candidates, examine the money, explain the ballot measures and keep asking the questions that need to be asked.
Nine months ago, The Alaska Story was a new venture with a big mission. Today, thanks to you, it has become an influential voice in Alaska. We are profoundly grateful to every reader who has helped make that possible.
And we are only getting started.
Thank you!
4 thoughts on “Report to readers: Nine months in and going stronger than ever at The Alaska Story”
I’m so jealous of Suzanne Downing’s successes. Tens of thousands of readers. Thousands of commenters. Hundreds of large donors backers. Dozens of high profile guest contributors. And multiple big ticket stories ever day.
Meanwhile, I have the same measely bunch of tightwad Democrats who follow me and my far-left, radical propaganda blog. They barely contribute enough, despite my constant pleas for donations, for me to get a half decent slug of gut rot booze to put me through another day of my miserable existence.
And Suzanne is such a superb writer, that I get sick to my stomach before I can even get the booze into my mouth.
Still Snorting , But Barely Farting, From Alaska,
Derm The Mutt
You’re concealing what you get from NewsBreak, A Chinese owned and operated news app , unless they’re being stingy and only paying what your screeds are worth
Hey Derm. Sorry that your barely farting. Try Taco Bell. I understand their lettuce is delicious.
Thank you Suzanne! Another thing worth mentioning is that The Alaska Story remains an open platform for comment and stands as a good example. While Conservatives generally engage in thoughtful argument based on logic and experience, leftists and liberals much more often have a tendency to shout others down, or complain louder about Donald Trump when they have no point to make.
No left-leaning Alaska news site allows conservatives to comment; most don’t allow comments at all. But, just like on MRAK (before they decided to self-destruct) SD keeps comments open to everyone, with all viewpoints.