We know that public interest in the missing flight is intense. But is it so intense that people are staying up all night, grasping their devices for alerts? We put that question to the digital folks at CNN and got this response from Meredith Artley, CNN.com’s vice president and managing editor:

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Our alerting tactics last night sync up with our overall approach on this story – we are sharing what know, when we know it. Our audiences are responding strongly to the puzzling, emotional search for Flight 370, and we are highly committed to this story and to using all of our platforms and tools to tell it accurately and dynamically.

So, yes!

Like any modern enterprise, CNN.com has very good ways of tracking the popularity of its stories. According to a CNN.com official, Malaysia-related headlines are drubbing other news stories in stirring activity on CNN.com mobile apps. For example, a March 15 alert on the assessment of U.S. intelligence on the activities of Flight 370’s pilots doubled the number of “app starts” for an alert on the Crimean referendum. The top three alerts from March 7 through March 18 are Malaysia Airlines-related; the New York building explosion ranks fourth. Keep those alerts coming, in other words.

For reference, here’s a rundown of alert activity from CNN last night:

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One:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 11:30 PM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

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Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday that authorities have found objects in the Indian Ocean that could possibly be related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian media reported.

For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Two:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:29 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

Watch on CNN: Australian authorities will hold 12:30 a.m. (ET) press conference after report of 2 objects found possibly related to #MH370.

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For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Three:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:48 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

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The objects are of “reasonable size” and are bobbing up and down the surface of the water, said John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Four:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 1:03 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

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An Australian maritime search official says the largest object he’s seen in satellite imagery has been judged to be about 78 feet (24 meters) in size.

“The largest object I’ve seen has been assessed at 24 meters,” said John Young, general manager of emergency response for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

He described the object as “a blob” on the satellite image.

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For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Five:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 1:42 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

Malaysia Airlines has briefed the families about the information provided by the Australian government, a spokeswoman for the airlines told CNN.

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The airline said unless there is confirmation that the objects in the southern Indian Ocean are that of MH370, they are not sending any families members to Australia.

Six:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 3:25 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

A flight crew combing the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 say they’re getting radar hits of “significant size,” indicating something lying below the water’s surface, ABC News reported Thursday.

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For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Seven:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:32 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

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Watch on CNN: Malaysian authorities hold press conference after overnight developments in search for Flight 370.

For complete coverage of breaking news, go to CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

Eight:

From: CNN Breaking News [mailto:BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:46 AM

To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

Subject: CNN Breaking News

The sightings of objects in the southern Indian Ocean by Australian authorities are credible but are yet to be confirmed as being related to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, said Malaysia’s acting transportation minister.