Digg is shifting more toward news content and less toward entertainment, according to new analysis released today.
The number crunching, by research firm Hitwise , found 20.67 percent of Digg’s outbound traffic went to a news/media site in June — barely less than the 21.34 percent that went to an entertainment site.
Here’s why it’s significant: The news/media numbers are up 16 percent from this time last year, while entertainment is down 20 percent . And the gap between the two is closing rapidly.
Interestingly, too, the news sites receiving the most of Digg’s traffic are print media web sites. They took in 9 percent of all outbound clicking — a figure up nearly 50 percent from last June.
Could it be a sign that Digg is inching closer to a merger with some major newspaper company? Hard to say for sure — but with all the rumors out there, these numbers sure do make you wonder.