This semester in #loweclass #digital I have the opportunity to cover CBS News as my beat. Last semester I was assigned the Times-Picayune. It was exciting to cover a Pulitzer Prize winning media outlet, but the content on their website was not as engaging as I had hoped. There was not a vast majority of stories I could choose from besides the basic political, world, sport and lifestyle ones. In addition, the use of digital media lacked. However, my initial visit to CBS News left me hopeful.
My first impression of the website is that it has very basic design elements and a clear layout. The black, gray and red font colors are very pleasing to the eye and pop against the white background. This simplistic design makes it easier to locate each individual story on the page. Some aspect of digital journalism – pictures and video being the most prominent – accompanies each headline on the homepage. This remains true for other pages such as politics, entertainment, sports and health.
CBS News covers a lot of different content on the website. A toolbar at the top and categories at the bottom redirect users to different pages with topics including world news, politics, science and technology, money, entertainment, health, sports, and crime. They dedicate the homepage to breaking news as well as top stories from around the world. What caught my attention though were the different ways CBS News allows its users to stay connected.
As a large media outlet, CBS News utilizes its resources to keep readers on different devices connected with the website. Users have access to it 24/7 through the use of Facebook, Twitter, Google + and YouTube. In addition, there is a constant stream of CBS News Radio that can be played directly off the website. Access to the media outlet is not limited to a computer. An app for CBS News is available for tablets and smart phones. It is just anther way people can stay connected and update on news.
A section that caught my attention was a link for two blogs supported by the media outlet. We have talked about blogging many times in class and even created our own. It is interesting to see the content on each and how the creators go about managing their respective blogs. The Political Eye is a political blog updated daily and, in most cases, multiple times. It covers news events from the White House, Congress and throughout the world. The Feed covers content completely opposite from that of politics. Viral Videos, Animal Antics, Winning and Music are a few categories on the site. Full of videos and short descriptions, The Feed was designed as a form of comical entertainment for readers.
It is apparent CBS News has adapted to the increasing use of technology. Pictures, videos, streaming devices, and web shows help illustrate this. I look forward to covering CBS News this semester. There is a wider range of possible stories I can read in comparison to my previous beat. It will be interesting to see how a media outlet full of different content and digital techniques will continue to produce stories.
My first impression of the website is that it has very basic design elements and a clear layout. The black, gray and red font colors are very pleasing to the eye and pop against the white background. This simplistic design makes it easier to locate each individual story on the page. Some aspect of digital journalism – pictures and video being the most prominent – accompanies each headline on the homepage. This remains true for other pages such as politics, entertainment, sports and health.
CBS News covers a lot of different content on the website. A toolbar at the top and categories at the bottom redirect users to different pages with topics including world news, politics, science and technology, money, entertainment, health, sports, and crime. They dedicate the homepage to breaking news as well as top stories from around the world. What caught my attention though were the different ways CBS News allows its users to stay connected.
As a large media outlet, CBS News utilizes its resources to keep readers on different devices connected with the website. Users have access to it 24/7 through the use of Facebook, Twitter, Google + and YouTube. In addition, there is a constant stream of CBS News Radio that can be played directly off the website. Access to the media outlet is not limited to a computer. An app for CBS News is available for tablets and smart phones. It is just anther way people can stay connected and update on news.
A section that caught my attention was a link for two blogs supported by the media outlet. We have talked about blogging many times in class and even created our own. It is interesting to see the content on each and how the creators go about managing their respective blogs. The Political Eye is a political blog updated daily and, in most cases, multiple times. It covers news events from the White House, Congress and throughout the world. The Feed covers content completely opposite from that of politics. Viral Videos, Animal Antics, Winning and Music are a few categories on the site. Full of videos and short descriptions, The Feed was designed as a form of comical entertainment for readers.
It is apparent CBS News has adapted to the increasing use of technology. Pictures, videos, streaming devices, and web shows help illustrate this. I look forward to covering CBS News this semester. There is a wider range of possible stories I can read in comparison to my previous beat. It will be interesting to see how a media outlet full of different content and digital techniques will continue to produce stories.