ThisisNews Network
Born out of a commitment to independent journalism, the publication has built a digital presence across international borders without spending on paid promotion
The real measure of an independent news publication lies not merely in the volume of content it produces or the visibility it purchases, but in whether readers continue to seek it out. For a digital news platform operating without paid promotion, a sustained readership across geographical boundaries offers an important indication of its ability to find and retain an audience.
The journey of ThisisNews.org provides an account of that pursuit, stretching back to its earlier identity as Newsroom24x7 and extending into a new phase of international readership in 2026.
On August 21, 2022, Newsroom24x7 crossed the one-million-views milestone. The achievement was recorded in an article published on August 24, 2022, under the title “Newsroom24x7 touches the million views milestone; We abhor bot views.” The editorial declaration was significant: the publication explicitly rejected bot-generated views and underscored its commitment to genuine readership.
The milestone was part of a longer digital journey. WordPress statistics for Newsroom24x7 covering January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2024, record approximately 1.2 million views from 815,100 visitors. These decade-long figures provide a historical record of the platform’s reach and engagement.
The present identity, ThisisNews.org, carries that independent journalism effort forward. Its analytics for the period from January 1, 2026, to October 17, 2026, show views from locations across the United States and other parts of the world. According to the publication, the geographical pattern has remained broadly consistent over successive weeks and months.
An international readership, built organically
The current analytics include substantial view counts from several US cities. Among the locations recorded are North Bergen, with 5,672 views; Ashburn, with 3,928; Dallas, with 2,116; Denver, with 1,940; Los Angeles, with 1,654; and New York City, with 1,358.
These are views recorded during the specified reporting period, not counts of unique visitors. They offer a snapshot of the publication’s geographical reach and should be understood in that context.
The wider analytics also show readership activity across countries beyond the United States. The recurring appearance of international locations in successive reporting periods, according to the publication, suggests that this is not simply a single, short-lived surge in traffic.
The founder-editor says the publication has spent no money on paid promotion. Its readership has therefore developed without purchased advertising campaigns designed to generate traffic.
Organic discovery can occur through search engines, direct visits, links and reader sharing. The relative contribution of these channels, however, can only be established through the site’s traffic-source data. The more defensible conclusion from the figures available is that the publication has recorded a geographically dispersed readership without expenditure on paid promotion.
The distinction is important in an online environment where audience numbers are often presented without adequate context. Views do not necessarily represent unique readers, and geographical data alone cannot establish how deeply an article has been read or what influence it has had. Yet a sustained pattern of activity across countries and cities remains a meaningful measure of a publication’s digital footprint.
The story is not that a million views in 2022 and the views recorded in 2026 constitute one continuous, directly comparable total. They belong to different reporting periods and stages of the publication’s evolution. Together, however, they document successive chapters in the development of an independent digital news platform.
The journalist behind the publication
Behind ThisisNews.org is Lalit Shastri, its founder-editor, whose professional career spans more than four decades of journalism, investigation, writing and public-interest work.
Shastri headed the Madhya Pradesh Bureau of The Hindu from 1991 to 2009. He subsequently served in a senior reporting and bureau leadership role with The Asian Age from 2010 to 2014. His work has covered governance, political accountability, public policy, institutional functioning and environmental concerns.
His professional interests have extended beyond daily reporting to investigative journalism and the examination of questions that demand sustained attention. His work has included reporting on alleged irregularities and failures of governance, as well as issues concerning public institutions and accountability.
The Bhopal gas disaster was among the defining subjects of his career. His study of the disaster and its causes led to the publication of Bhopal Disaster – An Eyewitness Account. The experience of reporting on major public issues helped shape a journalistic approach centred on evidence, scrutiny and the public’s right to know.
Shastri’s engagement with public-interest issues also encompasses conservation. He founded CREW, the Crusade for Revival of Environment and Wildlife, in Madhya Pradesh in 1997. His work in this field has included wildlife filmmaking, conservation initiatives and efforts to draw attention to threats facing India’s forests, rivers and wildlife.
This combination of journalism and conservation is reflected in the range of subjects pursued by the publication. Its editorial interests extend across governance, politics, science and technology, environmental protection and other matters of public importance.
For Shastri, the digital platform represents a continuation of a professional commitment rather than simply a commercial undertaking. The emphasis is on reporting and analysis that examine issues, ask questions and place public interest at the centre of the editorial process.
Independence in an increasingly crowded digital space
The growth of digital publishing has made it easier to establish a news website, but sustaining serious journalism remains difficult. Editorial work requires time, research, verification and judgement. At the same time, the online news environment is crowded with competing narratives, promotional campaigns and content designed primarily to attract clicks.
An independent publication without a substantial promotional budget must find other ways to reach readers. The work itself, its discoverability, the trust it develops and the willingness of readers to return become central to its survival and reach.
The record of Newsroom24x7 and the current analytics of ThisisNews.org offer evidence of a publication that has continued to build its digital presence over time. The historical million-view milestone was documented publicly in 2022. The longer WordPress record provides a decade-long perspective, while the 2026 analytics offer a more recent view of the geographical distribution of readership.
None of these figures should be mistaken for a complete measure of journalistic impact. That would require examining readership patterns alongside the performance of individual reports, returning audiences, engagement and the subjects that prompt readers to seek out the publication. But the figures establish a verifiable basis for discussing its reach.
The journey from Newsroom24x7 to ThisisNews.org is therefore more than a change in identity. It represents the continuing effort of an independent news initiative to sustain its readership without relying on paid promotion.
A million views was an important milestone in 2022. The historical statistics and international viewership recorded in 2026 add further chapters to that story.
Ultimately, the lasting value of a news publication cannot be established by analytics alone. It rests on the quality of its journalism, the accuracy of its reporting, its willingness to question established narratives and the public interest it serves. For ThisisNews.org, the challenge – and the ambition – is to ensure that the readership it has built continues to find journalism worth returning to.
