Where The Hell Am I On This Newspaper Website?

from the what-town?--what-sections? dept

This isn't necessarily a new thing, but it seems that online newspapers still haven't quite figured out that the people visiting them aren't all local any more, and they may not know where they are. So, here's another set of complaints about poorly designed newspaper websites that don't tell people where the newspaper is talking about (the article mentions my personal favorite: sites that say "the Valley's newspaper" or something like that without identifying which Valley). The other complaint is that online newspapers don't clearly state what section something is in -- so letters to the editor look exactly like regular articles. Reading through a paper newspaper at least gives some context -- but those same newspapers' websites should provide more context on each page for visitors from beyond the local area.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Suzi, 1 Aug 2005 @ 1:01pm

    Newspaper web sites

    I FULLY agree - when clicking on my scrolling news bar and bringing up an article, I find it quite distressing to not be able to find out where in the world they are talkign about.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pete, 1 Aug 2005 @ 1:52pm

    No Subject Given

    It almost makes me want to see regualtion mandating the geographical area being served.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      God is disappointed in you..., 1 Aug 2005 @ 5:22pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      regulation of content? you are an idiot

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Fritz Knack, 2 Aug 2005 @ 4:55am

    Thanks for saying something

    I had drafted half a rant about this just last week and got pulled away by work before I could finish.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ratman, 2 Aug 2005 @ 3:04pm

    Bad newspaper sites

    I emailed a rant similar to this to my hometown newspaper just last week. Their response? The people who need to respond to your letter are on vacation. So, I just dumped it to my blog. http://wheniamkingoftheworld.com

    My biggest complaint of any newspaper is the wasted web space of national and international news. I want local, to the newspaper, news. That's why I'm there. I want the local slant on the national news. Since most newspaper websites are tied to their published version, they just don't seem to have the timeliness that is needed for the web.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    G. Steve Arnold, 3 Nov 2005 @ 4:27am

    Elkhart, Indiana

    One click: it's Elkhart, Indiana -- I clicked on a ReMaxx real estate ad on the front page. Salesdudes ALWAYS answer the phone.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.