Loyalty produces influence for Buffalo News, WKBW. (newspaper, WKBW-TV station)(The 100 Most Influential Institutions in Western New York)

Numbers only tell part of the story.

Any look at how influential the media are in Western New York will include dry numbers such as newspaper circulation figures and broadcast ratings, but what can't be easily measured are factors such as ownership changes, niche audiences and a commitment to accurately report the news.

What also can't be quantified is how the big media outlets influence the region's political and social climate. And the bosses at One News Plaza and 7 Broadcast Plaza know that.

"The Buffalo News editors don't sit down at the conference table and say, 'OK, this is our agenda,' but we put a huge amount of effort, resources and our conscience …