What Makes A Winner -- The Posting Timestamp Or The Alert Timestamp?

That’s the fun little question. This morning showcased the perfect example after news broke that the Emmys are combining the lead and supporting actor/actress awards in the miniseries and movie category. Variety posted at 9:08, while Deadline followed with a 9:16 post. But the alerts tell a different story. I got my Deadline one first, at 9:19…while Variety’s came at 9:20. So sure, it could be all about “servers” (a familiar excuse I hear…yawn)…and people can obviously create the shell of a story as early as they want and then fill things in, making it look like they posted earlier. I have no idea if any of that happened here. All I know is that alert times will now factor into my analysis, barring anything that shows obvious exclusivity. For what it’s worth, THR posted at 9:32 and the alert came at 9:35. The Wrap's posting timestamp says 9:30, but the alert came to me at ... 10:56?