For this class, we were each assigned an online news source to follow throughout the semester. MSNBC.com, quite honestly, does not give a great first impression. At least, not to me.
I liked that the homepage was not cluttered, but when I tried to find a regular news story, I had to click at least three times before I got to read any news. In my opinion, that should be one of the first things you see on the site’s homepage. Surely such a site could be organized in a more efficient, user-friendly way.
The graphics at the top of every page on the site are all very modern and colorful, but they almost look like ads to me. I understand that MSNBC is a television station at its heart, and catchy, colorful designs are what get viewers interested, but that shouldn’t transfer in such a big way on the website. Maybe I’m a purist, but just because you can make something colorful and catchy doesn’t mean it’s necessary.
One facet of MSNBC.com that caught my eye in a positive way, however, was the PhotoBlog page. I don’t like the funny fuzzy-looking bottom edge some of the photos have, and I’d rather click through the photos as a slideshow instead of scrolling down a page, but there are some great photos showcased on the blog.
In this world of cell phone journalism and iPhone photos, people need more exposure to quality photography. The MSNBC photos aren’t National Geographic quality, by any means, but they are not bad at all. They’re dynamic and tell stories with emotion. I’ve included one of my favorites, a photo of residents of a slum in Equatorial Guinea watching their neighborhood burn.
Good news photography, like good news writing, should spark a conversation. Not only does MSNBC provide thought-provoking images, the blog format provides a place for readers to share their thoughts in a public way.
I liked that the homepage was not cluttered, but when I tried to find a regular news story, I had to click at least three times before I got to read any news. In my opinion, that should be one of the first things you see on the site’s homepage. Surely such a site could be organized in a more efficient, user-friendly way.
The graphics at the top of every page on the site are all very modern and colorful, but they almost look like ads to me. I understand that MSNBC is a television station at its heart, and catchy, colorful designs are what get viewers interested, but that shouldn’t transfer in such a big way on the website. Maybe I’m a purist, but just because you can make something colorful and catchy doesn’t mean it’s necessary.
One facet of MSNBC.com that caught my eye in a positive way, however, was the PhotoBlog page. I don’t like the funny fuzzy-looking bottom edge some of the photos have, and I’d rather click through the photos as a slideshow instead of scrolling down a page, but there are some great photos showcased on the blog.
In this world of cell phone journalism and iPhone photos, people need more exposure to quality photography. The MSNBC photos aren’t National Geographic quality, by any means, but they are not bad at all. They’re dynamic and tell stories with emotion. I’ve included one of my favorites, a photo of residents of a slum in Equatorial Guinea watching their neighborhood burn.
Good news photography, like good news writing, should spark a conversation. Not only does MSNBC provide thought-provoking images, the blog format provides a place for readers to share their thoughts in a public way.