Difference between Print & Online version
Articles: Local Newspaper websites include the major news articles from a local area. These news items may have been taken from an earlier edition of the newspaper, or will appear in the upcoming newspaper. This is good because if some people are unable to purchase a print copy of the newspaper, the articles can be found online. However, not all articles in the print copy can be found online. These news articles will follow the format seen in print; a headline, sub-heading, and article. Some online articles say: 'read more in this week's paper', to help promote the newspaper, and allow readers to learn more about an event.Photograph: On newspaper websites, all news articles have an image associated to the article. This may help readers understand more about the article. However, in the print newspaper, not all articles include images. This may be due to how the newspaper is structured - there may not be enough space for an image, so an image is not included.
Advertising: Newspaper websites usually include adverts to advertise companies. Most of the adverts included are usually in the form of a video, while others are in the form of images. This can be good to get a company to advertise through a newspaper website, because it is another way companies can communicate with their audience.
Articles on a Daily Basis: Newspaper websites are able to write and publish articles on a daily basis. This can be good because it means you get quicker access to news articles aimed at a certain area. These articles can sometimes be published into the paper website, in extended detail, to allow readers of the print copy to find out about the article. Exclusive content about an article may be included in the print copy. This may be to promote the newspaper, to get more people to purchase it.
Videos: Newspaper websites can use the medium of video to help with articles. These could be video interviews, with people affected by an event, or to show an event occur. For example, sport articles are more likely to include interviews with sports players, while an event, such as a fire, may include amateur footage of the fire. While videos cannot be seen in paper print, a transcript, or a written version, of an interview, can be written.
Users Can Sign-Up: Website visitors can sign-up to the newspaper website. This allows users to comment, and get involved in articles. This can be good, because it can allow the audience to get involved in the article. Social media links also allow users to keep up to date on newspaper articles. Also, email updates can be sent to users, to allow people to get more direct access to news articles.
Looking into Newspaper websites
All newspaper websites tend to follow a similar structure throughout the website design.
Halstead Gazette
The Halstead Gazette newspaper website has a series of news article, based on news in the Halstead town and surrounding areas.
The top article features a recently published article focusing on a vehicle crash on a major road in the area. An image of an ambulance is featured, which could show the idea that people have been injured. A sub-heading is included below that introduces the article.
Following this, there are several other newspaper articles seen below it, written in the previous few days. These articles are stories about a recent burglary, upcoming events, another traffic incident, among others.
Alongside this, there is a column, which feat
ures the front page of that week's newspaper issue. Below that, there is a list of the most-read articles, showing what the majority of the website visitors read. Links are also included in this column, which allows readers to get involved and post their own news articles, which may be included in that week's newspaper.
The header of the website includes a series of links, allowing readers to get information about local businesses and a place to add an advertisement, which might feature in future newspaper issues. Users can also create an account and sign in, here. There is finally a search button.
Below this, there is the newspaper's masthead, and a weather feature next to this.
There is also a banner, near the top of the website, where users can jump to certain articles - these links include 'News', 'Sport', 'Events' and 'Competitions', to name a few.
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo website has a similar structure to that of the Halstead Gazette.
The top article is focused on a recent crime news article in Liverpool city, with an image of the two prisoners involved. A sub-heading follows to introduce the article. Below this, there is a link to a related article. This is good because it means website visitors can learn more about the event, by looking at previous articles relating to the incident.
Following this, there are two columns of recently-published articles. However, this newspaper is released on a daily basis, because of the larger circulation area, meaning there are more articles to be written about the area.
Two of the articles are 'live' articles, meaning it is regularly updated by a journalist(s) throughout the day. These articles can be good for when an event has just happened, because it means more information can be published throughout the day. These 'live articles' can also be found on national newspapers too, as well as other news websites.
Many of the articles seen on the website are sport related - mainly football - due to the high interest of sports in Liverpool, and the surrounding areas (Merseyside).
A column on the far right is titled 'Live Breaking News', and includes live breaking news incidents throughout the day. This is good because it means visitors can find out live information and news stories. This is currently focused on live traffic news, which will help people travelling.
The top header allows users to visit certain parts of the pages: lives to the most read articles, the events articles (what's on), general news, sport news to particular football teams, among other links.
Plymouth Herald (The Herald)
The Plymouth Herald website uses a similar structure to the above newspaper websites, but the design again is different.
There is a single column dedicated to articles, which users can 'arrange' by the news articles by the date they were released, by the most commented, and by the most active.
These articles are all stories from the Plymouth and surrounding areas. The top article focuses on a traffic incident, and are followed by articles on crime, a fire, and technology.
A column on the far right includes a list of vouchers for local businesses, including a leisure centre, and beauty salons. This could be good because it means online users can get something exclusive from their online website, instead of the website.
Once again, standard features such as links to other pages can be seen in a row at the top. Readers can find articles by a certain genre of news story (e.g. readers can be linked directly to stories relating to crime, education, business, health, politics, among other thing.
A search bar for users to search for individual news articles, or to find businesses in a certain area. A weather feature showing the day's weather can also be found. Both of these are next to the masthead.
The website uses a red and grey colour scheme throughout the pages on the website.
Suffolk Free Press
The Suffolk Free Press uses a slightly alternate structure to those of the other paper websites.
The main article seen at the top of the newspaper frequently changes every few seconds. Users can interact with this feature and manually change it, to focus on a story they like. They can then click on this story to read it in further detail.
Below this, there are two columns of stories: the stories include a burglary, a weather story, and a vehicle crash.
At the bottom, there is a group of stories associated with sports in the local Suffolk area.
On the far right, a column shows the most popular stories among readers (under the title Trending).
Again, a series of links on the top to take readers to individual pages; these include Latest News, Community, Events, among others.
Again, a search bar, a weather widget, the mast head, and social media links for readers.
Halstead Gazette
The Halstead Gazette newspaper website has a series of news article, based on news in the Halstead town and surrounding areas.The top article features a recently published article focusing on a vehicle crash on a major road in the area. An image of an ambulance is featured, which could show the idea that people have been injured. A sub-heading is included below that introduces the article.
Following this, there are several other newspaper articles seen below it, written in the previous few days. These articles are stories about a recent burglary, upcoming events, another traffic incident, among others.
Alongside this, there is a column, which feat
ures the front page of that week's newspaper issue. Below that, there is a list of the most-read articles, showing what the majority of the website visitors read. Links are also included in this column, which allows readers to get involved and post their own news articles, which may be included in that week's newspaper.
The header of the website includes a series of links, allowing readers to get information about local businesses and a place to add an advertisement, which might feature in future newspaper issues. Users can also create an account and sign in, here. There is finally a search button.
Below this, there is the newspaper's masthead, and a weather feature next to this.
There is also a banner, near the top of the website, where users can jump to certain articles - these links include 'News', 'Sport', 'Events' and 'Competitions', to name a few.
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo website has a similar structure to that of the Halstead Gazette.
The top article is focused on a recent crime news article in Liverpool city, with an image of the two prisoners involved. A sub-heading follows to introduce the article. Below this, there is a link to a related article. This is good because it means website visitors can learn more about the event, by looking at previous articles relating to the incident.
Following this, there are two columns of recently-published articles. However, this newspaper is released on a daily basis, because of the larger circulation area, meaning there are more articles to be written about the area.
Two of the articles are 'live' articles, meaning it is regularly updated by a journalist(s) throughout the day. These articles can be good for when an event has just happened, because it means more information can be published throughout the day. These 'live articles' can also be found on national newspapers too, as well as other news websites.
Many of the articles seen on the website are sport related - mainly football - due to the high interest of sports in Liverpool, and the surrounding areas (Merseyside).
A column on the far right is titled 'Live Breaking News', and includes live breaking news incidents throughout the day. This is good because it means visitors can find out live information and news stories. This is currently focused on live traffic news, which will help people travelling.
The top header allows users to visit certain parts of the pages: lives to the most read articles, the events articles (what's on), general news, sport news to particular football teams, among other links.
Plymouth Herald (The Herald)
The Plymouth Herald website uses a similar structure to the above newspaper websites, but the design again is different.There is a single column dedicated to articles, which users can 'arrange' by the news articles by the date they were released, by the most commented, and by the most active.
These articles are all stories from the Plymouth and surrounding areas. The top article focuses on a traffic incident, and are followed by articles on crime, a fire, and technology.
A column on the far right includes a list of vouchers for local businesses, including a leisure centre, and beauty salons. This could be good because it means online users can get something exclusive from their online website, instead of the website.
Once again, standard features such as links to other pages can be seen in a row at the top. Readers can find articles by a certain genre of news story (e.g. readers can be linked directly to stories relating to crime, education, business, health, politics, among other thing.
A search bar for users to search for individual news articles, or to find businesses in a certain area. A weather feature showing the day's weather can also be found. Both of these are next to the masthead.
The website uses a red and grey colour scheme throughout the pages on the website.
Suffolk Free Press
The Suffolk Free Press uses a slightly alternate structure to those of the other paper websites. The main article seen at the top of the newspaper frequently changes every few seconds. Users can interact with this feature and manually change it, to focus on a story they like. They can then click on this story to read it in further detail.
Below this, there are two columns of stories: the stories include a burglary, a weather story, and a vehicle crash.
At the bottom, there is a group of stories associated with sports in the local Suffolk area.
On the far right, a column shows the most popular stories among readers (under the title Trending).
Again, a series of links on the top to take readers to individual pages; these include Latest News, Community, Events, among others.
Again, a search bar, a weather widget, the mast head, and social media links for readers.
