Good Online Journalism Sites

Online journalism its certainly its own breed in terms of writing, style, layout, and overall production, and some sites understand this concept better than others. One of the best sites I found that incorporates all of the aspects of OJ was CNNPolitics.com, CNN's 2008 presidential election homepage.

Although this page itself doesn't contain full stories, it still exhibits many of the qualities that set exceptional online journalism sites apart.

First off, it makes great use of the F-shaped reading patterns. (Check out Neilsen's F-Shaped pattern research.) At the top-left, the most-read part of the page, a navigation bar resides atop the main story, whose link is paired with an attractive image. On top of the image is a short lead-in to the story with a link the user can click to read it in its entirety.

To the top-right, as the tendencies of the human eye dictate, are relevant "top story"-type links that users can click to access more content. Along the left side of the page (the vertical line, in the "F") users can find other boxes of content that each have a micro-version of the F-style design inside them.

Following in the style of F-design, the least important content is placed along the bottom and right sides of the page. On CNNPolitics, this is where ALL of the advertisements are placed. Coincidence?

CNNPolitics also uses an attractive, organized visual style to guide readers to their diverse selection of content. It uses similar styles for boxes, headers, links, and text throughout the page so it feels orderly, professional and navigable. Speaking of navigation, the site also features the same navbar on the top of each page, no matter the page's content, for continuity and familiarity.

On top of the smart, clean design, it's CNNPolitics online-specific content that sets it apart.

The site makes use of nearly every online resource possible. Should a user want more than a reporter-written story, they can read blogs, discuss topics on message boards, watch videos, participate in polls or listen to podcasts (More web tips from USC's Communication Dept. and Cyberjournalist.net.) There's also a high degree of "clickability" involved in navigating the homepage -- which, studies say, keeps users more interested for longer.

These features are what give CNNPolitics a definite advantage over traditional election news sources. Whereas a newspaper's election page might present yesterday's black-and-white stories in a definite layout, CNNPolitics allows the user to create his or her own informational experience, and to consume breaking news as they see fit.

By giving users a high degree of choice in their election news experience, well-designed and supported sites like CNNPolitics can maintain the upper hand over less flexible, traditional outlets.