News in a digital setting is something that is ever changing and always being received, and that is how the Sydney Morning Herald’s news site has been set-up. This site in particular is unique to others in that it auto-refreshes every minute or so with the latest news stories and headlines in a seamless fashion. This ensures that the digital version of the newspaper is always connected to its audience and it succeeds in keeping them updated on the weather, sport, political and other news and current affairs.
It is presented in a clear and succinct format, with top stories and breaking news formatted to the left of the page while the main headlines are featured centre in a double column format. The main headline usually takes up both columns and is the focus of the eye in the page. It looks extremely professional and focuses on the news with no ads or any other auxiliary components. It is complimented by a header that is clean and elegant, featuring the date, the stylised title of the newspaper and their slogan along with a subscribe button. This is a very well done and attractive format that appeals to the eye.
While it is attractive, the news values can be seen as a negative due to the large number of competitor magazines that are also owned by Nine Entertainment, formerly Fairfax. This means that, along with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp there is not a wide variety of news angles coming from these newspapers. Indeed, often they are competing and conflicting in an attempt to compete with each other and drive their agendas. This is especially true regarding political stories, and around election time. While the Sydney Morning Herald is arguably more reputable than a Murdoch paper, it is still highly advised for the average reader to seek independent news sources for additional perspectives especially when researching for an election or vote. Having said that, their breaking news reporting such as the breaking news reports surrounding the tragic Darwin shooting have been exemplary and are an example of the high quality of journalism this newspaper exhibits.
The major headlines stay visible on the page for an extended period of time before being replaced, allowing a wide range of potential readers to be informed and easily view the current headlines. For those seeking information on these headlines once it has been replaced, it is located in convenient fashion underneath the current headline in the double-row of news headlines. These headlines tend to be dramatic, lengthy to the extent of almost being a full sentence, and heavily depend on an ethos orientated wording in order to elicit a response of interest from potential readers. While the articles tend to argue views that align to that of the greater newspaper and their owners, they are often logos based and fact driven. However, they tend not to link to references or quote sources. They do, however, link to other Sydney Morning Herald articles in an attempt to generate more views and traffic throughout the digital network of the newspaper.
Western Sydney News (WSN) 