Newsweek vs. Time

   As an avid Newsweek Magazine reader, I can confidently say that I am very pleased with their website, www.newsweek.com. Their website is very similar to their magazine in appearance and layout. The front page is not packed with advertisements and flashing images. The only thing flashing is the video box displaying the current lead stories in that issue of Newsweek. On the left hand side of the page, Newsweek has their Top 10 stories. In the middle, all of the main stories are displayed neatly. Their main page even has features unique to their magazine, such as the Conventional Wisdom Watch and the Periscope section Underneath each main story in the specific categories are related stories, which I think is very appropriate and really appeals to the readers of that specific story. Under "The Magazine" tab, Newsweek allows readers to view the exact content of the current magazine on the stands and see past issues. The individual categorial tabs at the top, (such as, News, Politics, Tech/Business, Culture/Ideas, etc) make it easy for people to navigate the site. The search bar at the top of the page is very clear, allowing people to easy search for specific articles. The only complaint I have about their website is when you actually do click on a story to read it, it's often many pages of reading because the page is filled with advertisements, random boxes, and unnecessary white space. 

   Time Magazine's website (www.time.com) is very different from Newsweek's. Although the website is similar to the magazine's layout, there are too many pictures and not enough text. A small description about each story would be nice. The automatic refresh of the website is convenient, though. Time put their "Must Read" section on the left, which I think is good positioning on the page. Their multimedia section is halfway down the page, and I think it should be closer to the top. The site looks dated and not very user-friendly. It does have a Most Popular Stories section, but unlike Newsweek, Time does not offer related stories on their homepage; you have to click on the story itself to find related articles. Time has the same problem as Newsweek when it comes to actually reading stories, though -too much white space, advertisements, and random boxes. Under each tab (U.S, Election '08, World, Business & Tech, etc.) the page layouts are very similar to Newsweek's and much easier to navigate. Overall, both websites are similar to their magazines, and I don't think readers of either one would be incredibly disappointed when visiting these websites.