The content CBS produces – articles, picture galleries, videos and multimedia packages – are some of the best out there. In addition, its use of social media and interactive features exceed among other media outlets. However, CBS could benefit – and draw more readers – by making a few changes.
One thing I would change about the media outlet's website is how they organize content. CBS does have tabs at the top for sections beyond the homepage. Beyond that, though, there is not much organization within each section. Content is presented within a list down the page. On the left side, there is another column that does have categories based on topic or show. What readers cannot do is click beyond the category to find similar content. By not being able to do this, and having that never-ending column of stories, it can seem almost daunting to readers when they visit each page.
What I liked about CNN, and what I thought they excelled in, was their organization. They too had the tabs on the top and bottom of each page so readers could easily maneuver the website. Within most pages, CNN let readers filter content by category. This allowed them to easily find articles, pictures and videos that interested them and met their needs. If CBS utilized this technique they could rid themselves of headache producing text that blends together because of the list format.
CBS could also take a few ideas from CNN when it comes to adding more specialty pages. Currently, CBS has pages for US, World, Politics, Entertainment, Health, MoneyWatch, SciTech, Crime and Sports. They also have two blogs, one that focuses on politics and the other on current events. I believe CBS would benefit by adding more pages or blogs that relate to broad topics such as lifestyle, religion, etc. These are issues that resonate with people throughout the country and world.
Improvements throughout the current pages would be beneficial as well. Each section has the same layout and background as one another. At the beginning of the semester I thought the basic black and white color scheme was simple and inviting. However, during the semester I became bored by seeing the same design on each page. CBS could take its website to a whole new level with layout and color changes tailored to each page. This again could help break up the daunting lists of articles that the media outlet has.
CBS has one of the best websites out there for content. They are always on top of breaking news and provide in-depth sections for large events. In order to rise above others, the media outlet could benefit to make improvements with its layout and color scheme. Adding a few specialty pages for larger issues that are not already covered on the website would help them gain viewers too. I still love covering CBS, even if they could stand to make a few changes.