What’s Behind a News Website’s Hidden Code? A Peek at the Post-Gazette Page Parts

Introduction: What Is This Stuff?

Imagine you are looking at a newspaper website, like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. What you see is the articles and pictures. But behind the scenes, there is a lot of invisible “computer instructions” (called code) that help the page work. This article explains those hidden pieces in a simple way, like telling a 5-year-old what all the secret labels do.

Hidden Tracking and Helper Tools

Some code is like a invisible note to computers that watch how people use the site:

• Google Tag Manager: A tool that helps manage other tracking codes. There is a hidden box (called noscript) that loads if your browser does not run regular scripts. It is like a backup spy that hides on the page.
• Old Analytics Code: There were older tracking tools (like pgevoke.analytics.ga-top) that were removed on May 13, 2019. They used to count visitors but are gone now.
• Krux ControlTag: Another behind-the-scenes tag that starts some tracking, but its exact code is not shown here.
• Comscore and Others: Some tracking (like Comscore) was turned off or commented out, meaning it is not active.

Important: These tools help website owners understand readers, but they are hidden and do not change what you read.

Menu and Sharing Buttons at the Top

At the top of the page, there is a special header that helps you share stories and open menus:

• A MENU button with a little icon and the word “MENU” to open the site’s sections.
• Share buttons for:
  • Facebook
  • Facebook Messenger (with a small image icon)
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • Email (a little envelope icon)
  • Text message (Android text)
  • Comments (shows how many people talked about the story)

The Slide Menu (Side Panel)

If you click MENU, a side panel slides out. It has simple labels like:

1. ACCOUNT
2. SECTIONS
3. OTHER
4. CLASSIFIEDS
5. CONTACT US / FAQ

These just help you jump to different parts of the newspaper site.

Advertisement and Layout Code

The page also has notes about ads:

• A “wallpaper” ad (a background ad) was planned but the code is just a comment (a note to programmers, not shown to you).
• A “Peelback” rich media ad was started but also not finished in the code.

Things Removed Over Time

Like cleaning your room, the website removed old stuff:

• PGGA code removed on 5/13/2019.
• Some scripts removed on 11/19/2018 and 7/18/18.
• Gigya-head (a login tool head) was removed on 10.11.17.
• A.B.D. script removed on 6/1/2020.
• ICT, PG Perks, and Rich Media end scripts are off or not used.

Email Share Popup Style

There is a hidden style (looks) for an email-sharing form:

• It makes a small white box with a gray border.
• Has a title bar saying “TIP A FRIEND”.
• Has fields to type in emails.

This appears only if you click the email share button.

Final Hidden Scripts

At the very end:

• A Twitter widget script loads so tweets can show nicely.
• TinyPass (a paid story tool) is mentioned but not fully shown.

Summary

Behind a news page like the Post-Gazette, there is a lot of hidden code that:

• Tracks readers (but much is removed or off)
• Shows menu and share buttons
• Has a slide-out menu with simple categories
• Plans ads that are not always used
• Includes styles for email sharing
• Loads tiny helper scripts at the end

All of this helps the site run, but the articles you read are the main show!

FAQ

Q: What is Google Tag Manager?
A: It is a tool that lets the website add other tracking codes easily, like a remote control for hidden notes.

Q: Why are so many codes removed?
A: The site cleans up old tools that are no longer needed, like throwing away broken toys.

Q: Do these hidden codes change the story I read?
A: No, they work in the background. Your article stays the same.

Q: What is the slide menu for?
A: It is a side panel to find Account, Sections, Classifieds, and Contact info quickly.