Round Five: Blogger versus Croydon Advertiser

This could get nasty. The Inside Croydon blog is taking another pop at the Croydon Advertiser disputing its editor's claim that the part-free and part paid-for paper is distributed to more than 100,000 people each week.

Inside Croydon writes: "A couple of weeks ago, the paper’s relatively new editor got the right ‘ump with this website for having the temerity to criticise its coverage and question its dwindling circulation. Glenn Ebrey (for it is he) said at the time: 'Last time I checked, our papers were distributed to more than 100,000 people a week'.”

Inside Croydon had described the Advertiser as"patronising and dull" and claimed it had an “increasingly small circulation”. Now the blog links to the Advertiser's latest ABC certificate showing total distribution of 56,564 with 13,379 paid-for, and states: "That all adds up to a load less than the 100,000 that Ebrey claimed on his blog."

Naturally, the Advertiser will argue that it has more than one reader per copy but I wonder if Ebrey is regretting challenging the blogger behind Inside Croydon in an open letter to reveal themselves and come into the paper's office for a day to see how hard his team worked.

Ebrey wrote of the blogger: "Mr Insider doesn’t just have a chip on his shoulder, he seems to have the full portion with ketchup and vinegar thrown in for good measure." He later identified him.