Comments on: Newspaper sites: PLEASE improve your readability http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/ Where to find Malcolm Coles, reviews, and tips on how to do things I couldn't do. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:15:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Luis http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2188 Luis Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:04:37 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2188 Hi Cole, I will consider to increase the font size of my blog. I use glasses and your font size it was very easy to read for me and No I am not an old guy, I just turn out 38. Hi Cole,

I will consider to increase the font size of my blog. I use glasses and your font size it was very easy to read for me and No I am not an old guy, I just turn out 38.

]]> By: Alan Rutter http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2187 Alan Rutter Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:04:41 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2187 If that's the case Malcolm, then you're right - no excuse. I can only think that even though the content is going online first, the publications in question are formatting it for what they see as their 'primary outlet': print. I've done a lot of work on parallel online and print workflow systems, and this is a mindset that's very hard to break - although frankly, anyone who wants to run a cross-platform operation needs to get this right asap. Very interesting post by the way! If that's the case Malcolm, then you're right - no excuse. I can only think that even though the content is going online first, the publications in question are formatting it for what they see as their 'primary outlet': print.

I've done a lot of work on parallel online and print workflow systems, and this is a mindset that's very hard to break - although frankly, anyone who wants to run a cross-platform operation needs to get this right asap.

Very interesting post by the way!

]]> By: Malcolm Coles http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2186 Malcolm Coles Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:32:31 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2186 @Alan - I actually wrote a section saying just that about print content, workflow, CMSes etc. Then I took it out as I realised that half the stories I was looking at must surely have been published online FIRST. So there seemed no excuse not to include sub-headings, which could then easily be subbed out / automagically removed when transferred to the print system. @Alan - I actually wrote a section saying just that about print content, workflow, CMSes etc. Then I took it out as I realised that half the stories I was looking at must surely have been published online FIRST.
So there seemed no excuse not to include sub-headings, which could then easily be subbed out / automagically removed when transferred to the print system.

]]> By: Alan Rutter http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2176 Alan Rutter Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:32:58 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2176 Aside from the tiny font size, Malcolm - which is bemusing to say the least - the reason newspapers are making all of these errors is because they're shoving up print content. Breaking the copy into smaller chunks, adding subheads, re-styling and putting in accurate in-copy links all involves extra work, which they're not investing in. The reason that The Sun comes out best here is because they write the copy in short sentences with subheads anyway for the paper. Incidentally, The Sun has always been notably for being written for a much lower 'reading age' than any of the other examples you cite. Aside from the tiny font size, Malcolm - which is bemusing to say the least - the reason newspapers are making all of these errors is because they're shoving up print content. Breaking the copy into smaller chunks, adding subheads, re-styling and putting in accurate in-copy links all involves extra work, which they're not investing in.

The reason that The Sun comes out best here is because they write the copy in short sentences with subheads anyway for the paper. Incidentally, The Sun has always been notably for being written for a much lower 'reading age' than any of the other examples you cite.

]]> By: Newspaper websites need to improve their readability | Online Journalism Blog http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2174 Newspaper websites need to improve their readability | Online Journalism Blog Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:45:25 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2174 [...] a companion post on online readability (design, not writing - and this post was first published here). And here’s an example each of their news stories so you can see the issue: Daily Mail, [...] [...] a companion post on online readability (design, not writing - and this post was first published here). And here’s an example each of their news stories so you can see the issue: Daily Mail, [...]

]]> By: Christopher Ross http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/newspaper-sites-poor-readability/#comment-2172 Christopher Ross Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:22:57 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=1002#comment-2172 Hey Malcolm, this is spot on! With newspapers going out of business across the country, maybe if they took a bit of time to understand the needs of the aging population, they'd actually have a shot at putting together a decent online version of their paper instead of folding outright. Hey Malcolm, this is spot on! With newspapers going out of business across the country, maybe if they took a bit of time to understand the needs of the aging population, they'd actually have a shot at putting together a decent online version of their paper instead of folding outright.

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