I was never a huge fan of Tulsa's newspaper, but after exploring their website, I have to give them props. The Tulsa World's website is very user-friendly and filled with various types of media (a.k.a, "convergence").
The first thing you see on the World's website is the weather and the latest headlines. Being from Oklahoma, I know how important continuous weather updates are, so this is definitely a plus. Beside each headline under the "Latest News" section there is a time, which shows the viewer when this news was posted. I think that's a great idea because it lets the reader know how current and up-to-date your website is. Right beneath the "Latest News" section is a spot that features videos and pictures. It's very user-friendly and allows the viewer to see their news, rather than read it. Just below that section are featured blogs and a calendar that allows you to view different events (i.e.: Sports, entertainment, business, education, government, etc.).
In the Spot section, which is the World's entertainment pull-out, the site could feature more videos. Understandably, this is a newspaper website, but the amount of text becomes overwhelming. One expects an entertainment section to be a little more tech-savvy and up-to-date. The section does feature a pop-out music player though, which is very convenient for those checking out concerts, etc.
But, the world does offer sections strictly dedicated to both pictures and videos. Each section is incredibly easy to navigate and again, very user-friendly. This again gives users an alternative to written news. Overall, I'm very impressed by the World's website. It's obvious that they are gradually trying to converge their use of media and appeal to various viewers.
No comments:
Post a Comment