Enough of doom and gloom. Here's some good news for the newspaper industry.
The folks at The Bivings Report have compiled a list of the Top 10 newspaper websites and run through the features that make them special. They were rated "not only on their web features but also on the design, aesthetics and general usability of the site."
And, the winners are...
For the Nos. 4-10, please check out the Bivings post itself.
So, just what made the best, the best?
We love the general feeling of the NYT site, which is pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. The site is loaded with great features, and, as of August 7, the website dropped its paid-for content, TimesSelect, which is definitely worth bonus points.
With praise like that, it's hard to remember these companies are all struggling. Actually, I think the Times site is a pretty fantastic news resource and it is a site I use quite frequently.
The only strange omission from the Bivings list: The Wall Street Journal's site, which did not make the Top 10. I wonder why? I use that one all the time...
Technorati Tags: newspaper, website, journalism, web 2.0, bivings
Smart publishing
Print publishing can be a tough industry these days. Not only is it exciting to see print publications surviving, it's nice to see them thriving in alternate formats. Smart publishers take advantage of multiple media venues. These top 10 are obviously smart publishers.
Yes, in a way this is the
Yes, in a way this is the great, untold story of the newspaper industry. While the big papers are laying off reporters and struggling with declining ad revenue, some of them are doing very nice things on the web.
The irony is if they were web startups, everyone would be applauding their efforts. Because they're "old media," they get trashed for their efforts...