I chose Madison, WI for this assignment. I really like the way their web site is structured. It’s very easy to navigate. One can find whatever one’s looking for without a lot of clicking, which makes obvious that somebody spent some time designing this web site.

I also like that it focuses on local stories as it is a local paper but if you want to see national news, you can also find it without much looking. I give this web site four stars out of five. I would’ve liked to see audio, some slide shows, a picture and a short bio of the write/photographer.

The link to their web site is http://host.madison.com/

Headline. I really like that they have a rotating breaking news. This is a good way to reach a wider audience without the viewer having to scroll down.

Summary. Nice summary and a nice touch of interactivity by allowing the reader to add a comment.

Main Story. I assumed the main story is the one labeled 1 but I wish they had highlighted it more.

Breaking News. I’m loving the Breaking News box that allows the reader to pick their flavor: News, Sports or Entertainment.

Links to related stories. I didn’t see this but I really liked that if you liked a photo you could buy it. What a concept! Instead of “stealing” the picture we like so much we can buy it.

Short bios on key sources. I didn’t see this either and in fact, I had a hard time finding who wrote a particular story. However, I really like that there’s a way to increase the font size right on the story. Way cool!

Photos/graphics. Good amount of pictures, no white space but I didn’t see any graphics.

Audio. I didn’t see any audio to complement a story.

Still and/or video. Lots of video!

Polls. No polls but in lieu of them you can easily add comments to a story and I like that a whole lot better as I can “see” what people are thinking.

Games. Nope.

Discussion forums. They have them galore, very interactive and a good way to create loyalty and interest in their readership.

E-mail link to reporter. Not at all.

Database. Yes, all the way to the bottom but I think that’s the appropriate place for it.