Ahh the news
I must confess, I am not an avid reader, or viewer of news sources. That is to say, I don’t often go out of my way to search for news, whether it’s TV or online. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t stay somewhat up to date on what’s going on in the world. I also must confess that one my main avenues for news is Twitter. This seems to be a large trend in my generation’s age that could be argued, is not great. However that is the truth of the matter. On Twitter, I follow news sources like Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Public Radio, Dallas Morning News, and the BBC World News, which keep me decently updated! I also, however, listen to NPR in the car, which I admit is about 85% of my radio time.
Every news outlet has it’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s pro’s and cons. They all have to attempt to stay up to date with the digital age, it’s users. I took a look at two news sources, Huffington Post, and the Dallas Morning News to see how they match up.
Huffington Post
We’ll start with Huffington Post. My first impression of Huffington was not bad. I initially took a look at the very top of the front page, viewing the layout and organization. Huffington presents itself in an organized and professional way.
You’ve got everything from Politics to Comedy! It’s well presented with “The Huffington Post” right in the center, followed by “Inform, Inspire, Entertain, Empower” directly under it. It’s elegant, simple, and easy to understand. The green letter on white background was a nice touch too. It gave it a sense of prestige. Sadly, directly below this was a major eyesore and disappointment.
No, not because it was Trump. Well... I'm only kidding. After seeing how professionally created the top of the site was, I am sad to say this did not appeal to me. It's large, in your face, and looks like it's a part of a cheap website. The red and blue letters really push this over the edge of annoyance and eyesore. It definitely seems like Huffington is trying too hard with this over sized post.
Thankfully it does get a bit better! Just below this begins the front page articles. There are three columns of posts. I don't believe each column is differentiated from another. They are simply three vertical columns of front page news. Huffington does a nice job of matching pictures to each posted article. It's simple, but effective eye candy information for people scrolling through the page. In fact, it made it easier and more enjoyable to skim through each article and have a quicker understanding of the article.
I do find however, that the one negative side to this layout is that each column is staggered. The headlines of the articles do match up. This appears sloppy, and frankly more difficult to read. It forces your eyes not only left and right as you look at articles, but up and down to read the headline. It was simply an obnoxious feature. Have a look!
Dallas Morning News
The front page of the DMN is similar to the Huffington Post. It has "Dallas Morning News" front and center. Directly under that is has different page/subject options from Home to DMN Store. Again, like the Huffington, it's well organized and looks professional.
Here is what I enjoyed about the DMN in opposition to the Huffington Post. As you scroll down, the DMN has top stories from each of the subjects that you can choose from at the top of the page and more. Along with that they are separated by a nice bold, black line, with bold, black letters.
The DMN does a nice job of using photos to catch the reader's eye. I think what gives the DMN an edge is the fact that the snippets of stories are categorized on the front page. This not only keeps it organized on the site, but it helps keep the reader organized in their mind. I know what I'm looking at, and it what category it belongs. It's not just a bunch of stories collected on one page. It's easy to view and easy to understand.
Conclusion
When it's all said and done the Dallas Morning News takes the cake for me. The Huffington Post started strong but didn't finish well. The organizational behavior of the DMN is ultimately what keep me rooting for it. I tend to like things well organized, where they should be and the DMN delivered. It is simple, clear, and the the point.
