Online News writing exercise

Exercise 1

I chose the website Fox News to do this exercise.


a) Do the news items reflect immediacy?

 

Yes, on the homepage there is a section displaying the latest news and updates on the market. For the individual selection of news such as U.S news, business, world news, entertainment etc. not all the selections are updated to todays date.

b) Does the site try to help readers save time?

Yes, for those who read the newspaper it's difficult to search for a topic whereas the website the user could easily search for the topic. The website also displays "most read" stories, giving the user the option to read the top stories. 

c) Is it quick and easy to get information?

Yes, the website is easy to navigate. The selections of topic on the top of the main page is a plus because it give the user options on what they want to read. For the world news section it gives the reader the option to select which part of the world to ready about.  That is located on the "section map" on the left hand corner . Most of the the latest news updates give a lead and photo. 

d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information?

 Yes and No, The latest news stories have  visuals along with verbal information. However in certain sections of the websites such as entertainment not all of the headline have photos and some of the stories are combined in one page. 

e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan?
Yes, on all the topics there are bullets for the readers to chose. The latest stories lists all the main headlines of the day. However more headlines need to be included in the Entertainment and Health section.

f) Are the stories broken into "chunks"?

Not all the stories are broken into chunks as I mentioned earlier for the entertainment section the main stories are written up on one page. It gives the reader one latest update then underneath that article lists another story. 

g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information?
Yes, on some of the articles there are links the readers could click to read more information on the topic. 

h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"?

There are no "talk back" sections on this website but link to blogs where reader can discuss their thoughts and opinions on certain issues. There is the option for the reader to share the article with another reader. 

i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal?

Yes, there are videos for some of the articles and a on the air section