Monthly Archives: August 2007

CNN understands how users read text better than print people do

Posted on August 30, 2007 by pat

Well sort of. One of the features many people may have noticed with the relaunch of CNN.com earlier this year is that CNN offers succinct bullet points above articles about the key points of the story. Most people skim stories … Continue reading →

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Give users a reason to stay on your site

Posted on August 27, 2007 by pat

One of the biggest problems facing newspaper Web sites is the inability to keep readers on their site for more than a story or two. It’s simply a matter of Web design, and most sites are very poorly put together … Continue reading →

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del.icio.us links added to The Journalism Iconoclast

Posted on August 27, 2007 by pat

Some of you have noticed that there are now del.icio.us links at the top of the right column of this blog. This links will be of interesting and current topics in online journalism and/or Web development. They will be updated … Continue reading →

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Covering politics enters the 21st century

Posted on August 25, 2007 by pat

The St. Petersberg Times and Congressional Quarterly just launched PolitiFact, and it covers politics in a way that no other format can. It’s really a good example of online journalism because it does something that you can’t do well in … Continue reading →

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Stop asking for user information

Posted on August 25, 2007 by pat

I was just visiting Cleveland.com to check out some information about the Browns, and my blood pressure has just risen. The site, as always, asked for my information — location, age and sex. I’ve typed it in countless times over … Continue reading →

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Build a digital résumé and make yourself stand out

Posted on August 24, 2007 by pat

Journalism is an incredibly competitive market place, and you need to do all you can to stand out. The standard résumé is not the best way for a young journalist to stand out. The New York Times just published an … Continue reading →

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Always back up your Web site

Posted on August 22, 2007 by pat

Some of you may have noticed yesterday that The Journalism Iconoclast looked different — a lot different — for a little while. I upgraded to 2.2.2, and it broke the JI theme. Instead, users were greeted with the default WordPress … Continue reading →

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J-school students are really conservative

Posted on August 22, 2007 by pat

Let’s put to rest this whole journalists are liberal thing. Just read this article about Medill’s new dean and you’ll understand. The students at Northwestern are in an upheaval because their new dean John Lavine is changing the curriculum to meet … Continue reading →

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You need swagger to succeed on the Web

Posted on August 20, 2007 by pat

To be the best, you have to want to be the best. A site that has always typified that swagger is my high school’s Web site. It has the audacity to want to be the best in the world, and … Continue reading →

Posted in new media journalism, Site relaunches, Web development | Comments Off

The LA Times goes back to the past

Posted on August 17, 2007 by pat

If you ever wondered why the LA Times is having so much trouble online or why its product is fading so quickly, look no further than the editorial board. In a shocking editorial the Times wrote, “many publishers consider the … Continue reading →

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