Newspapers have been sluggish to modernize online. While editors focused for years on their print product, online products were given a listless passover — an archive more than a destination. But eyes slowly shifted online and so too did editors’ attention.
Now we’re in a great time for newspapers online. Editors are asking more of journalists and online departments are expanding. After looking around at some of the bigger newspapers, here’s what their best practices are.
Variety in the blogroll
Newspapers are all about headlines, but to keep readers interested as they scroll down the page it’s necessary to give a lot of variety to the layout. Lots of newspapers use horizontal multimedia panels to give space for online-only content amidst the regular newspaper sections.
The multimedia bar and stock reports on the home page of the Globe and Mail
As you scroll down the page, avoid the headline overload that comes with lots of text and links. One of the best newspapers to do this is Tages Anzeiger from Switzerland. The format changes from two columns with the top stories to three columns by section. While the format gets kind of repetitive, the differences from the top to bottom keeps enough variety to make it interesting to the eye.
Click to see screenshot of entire website
Skillful use of images
Text is an enemy. Websites are a visual medium and good layouts of any kind (including print) try to cast a “spell” on readers so they continue reading without thinking about what’s happening. Too much text breaks that spell, readers get confused and they realize they’re searching for good content instead of letting their eyes find it.
But despite more access to broadband Internet, almost all major newspaper websites are using small images and small headlines for their top story. It seems like it’s not the size of the image, but how it’s used. As seen in Tages Anzeiger’s website, lots of small pictures through the front page are effective at breaking up the content.
The Globe actually made their above-the-fold image even smaller with their most recent redesign. This is pretty precious space, so designers likely weighed the benefits of a big splash image against having a list of medium-sized links. I suppose that unlike buying a newspaper, it’s not necessary to attract readers with big lovely images.
One of the only big news websites I can find still using big above-the-fold images is the Huffington Post, which is constantly doing whatever it takes to earn and keep visitors.
The National Posts "above the fold" includes only a small picture and main headline
The Globe and Mail
USA Today
Huffinton Post's big splash images are a web trademark for them
No sliders
It’s quickly becoming a cliche. Magazines, blogs and amateur newspapers everywhere use them, but none of the big boys bother. The slider is a mechanism showing a few posts in the same content area and “sliding” images across automatically or when the user clicks. The only slider I’ve seen on big newspaper websites is on The Toronto Star, which uses a slick-looking slider for its A&E page.
The Toronto Star uses this slider only on its arts page
Relevant content with articles
While traditional layouts used sidebars to house added content, the best newspapers these days include that content right in the article. Some float the content to the left or right, like Slate and the Globe & Mail. Others interrupt the article completely — a tactic that draws attention to the content but likely distracts the reader and breaks the spell.
Additional content from the Globe & Mail interrupts the article after the second paragraph. Videos and multimedia also show on the left side panel.