Local coverage: newspapers vs. Google
Posted by Jay Wineroth on June 9, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Publishing 2.O's Scott Karp argued in his article "What Newspapers Still Don't Understand About The Web", that online newspaper formats are inhibiting viewers' ability to find the news they want.
His article outlined a simple test that he had completed to support his argument. While a storm hit the Washington area, Karp searched The Washington Post's homepage for information about the storm. But editors, Karp argues, did not find the story worthy of a prominent position on the homepage. Instead Karp found an article about the storm on a list of most viewed articles in the corner of the homepage. Still, the article failed to give Karp the information he sought.
He then decided to use Google. His search included the Washington power service provider called Dominion Power, who had posted maps and information Karp deemed more practical.
He decided to try the Washington Post again only this time he searched further than the homepage. Finally, in the weather section, he found everything his Google search had given him but more: real-time radars, warnings and updates, and even a link back Dominion Power's website.
Karp essentially contends that online newspapers are flawed because they are structured like traditional print newspapers. Online news sites expect users to think and do as they would with the morning paper. Google's design, Karp feels, offers users various websites whose content relates to the specificity of the search. This format appeals to Karp so much that he believes online newspapers should be "just a search box and a list of blogs."
This conclusion is extreme, although it could contribute to the premise behind future newspaper website designs.
What Karp did learn from his experience is that the Washington Post's website is actually an innovative, dual-website; one aimed at national and international readers, the other at local readers. The website reads users' IP addresses and sends users in the Washington area to local site. All users have the option of customizing their experience, making either the national or local version their preferred Washington Post homepage.
His article outlined a simple test that he had completed to support his argument. While a storm hit the Washington area, Karp searched The Washington Post's homepage for information about the storm. But editors, Karp argues, did not find the story worthy of a prominent position on the homepage. Instead Karp found an article about the storm on a list of most viewed articles in the corner of the homepage. Still, the article failed to give Karp the information he sought.
He then decided to use Google. His search included the Washington power service provider called Dominion Power, who had posted maps and information Karp deemed more practical.
He decided to try the Washington Post again only this time he searched further than the homepage. Finally, in the weather section, he found everything his Google search had given him but more: real-time radars, warnings and updates, and even a link back Dominion Power's website.
Karp essentially contends that online newspapers are flawed because they are structured like traditional print newspapers. Online news sites expect users to think and do as they would with the morning paper. Google's design, Karp feels, offers users various websites whose content relates to the specificity of the search. This format appeals to Karp so much that he believes online newspapers should be "just a search box and a list of blogs."
This conclusion is extreme, although it could contribute to the premise behind future newspaper website designs.
What Karp did learn from his experience is that the Washington Post's website is actually an innovative, dual-website; one aimed at national and international readers, the other at local readers. The website reads users' IP addresses and sends users in the Washington area to local site. All users have the option of customizing their experience, making either the national or local version their preferred Washington Post homepage.
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