|
joannageary.wordpress.com
Birmingham Post reporter Joanna Geary has analyzed the level of interactivity on several U.K. news sites. (Click to enlarge.) |
That's the question Birmingham Post reporter
Joanna Geary has been asking herself, and that has come up with a rather lovely graphic (see right)
If you click on that image to see the more readable full-sized version, you'll see she's looking for availability of e-mail contacts, use of interactive tools like maps, blogs, social bookmarking, video (is that interactive? Or multimedia?), e-mail newsletters, mobile alerts, RSS feeds, podcasts, chats, forums -- and Twitter: "I know it's not yet a mass communication device, but I think it's a good indicator of those who are thinking about the development of the market."
Here is what Geary found:
"There's an indication that regional news is a little behind the nationals when it comes to interactive features -- but some regionals, such as The Birmingham Post and LDP Business are catching up.
"I think there a few limitations with the categories that are provided, and naming individual elements of interactivity does not necessarily give you a strong insight into the experience of the user. (For example, there's no point having video if no one can figure out how to get to it.)"
Now Geary's asking:
- "How is your experience of a news site improved, or indeed made worse, by interactive tools?
- "[Are there tools] that you think this study is missing?
- "Are there any similar studies?"
