A key feature of online news is links to additional content. Functional and relevant links can add to the quality of the story being told whereas irrelevant links, particularly those that direct you outside the primary site, can encourage a user to search elsewhere for their news content.
A case in point is the current coverage of the Daniel Morcombe case.
Couriermail.com.au provides regularly updated text stories as the story unfolds. In addition they provide links to video content and photographic slide-shows. The video content is Sky News stories of the same event but tells the story differently through the use of pictures. Importantly the links do not direct you outside the Courier Mail's primary website but instead embeds the video content into it's webpages. From a navigation point of view the website uses a "related coverage" fact box to the side of the main story rather than embedded hyperlinks. This allows the reader to read the main text story without interruption and then chose to view the additional content if they so choose.
ABC.net.au is also providing coverage of the unfolding event. In many ways the style is similar to that of the Courier Mail. ABC also uses "related stories" links in lieu of embedded links. Both sites provide a small version of a Google Map within the stories to give the reader additional information directly relevant to the story. This means there is no need to leave the primary news site to view a map. Readers are offered the option of enlarging the map, however when you choose this option you are then directed outside the original site to Google Maps.
In essence both sites provide regularly updated content on a story that people are following closely and the additional multimedia content on both sites is relevant and adds to the story.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment