The document analyzes several local newspaper websites. It finds that they generally have a simple, monochromatic design with interactive elements. They include pictures alongside articles for visual appeal. Headlines are brief and summarize the story. The websites are updated daily and include weather, sections for different content types, and ads for revenue generation. User engagement is encouraged through commenting and social sharing features.

1. WEBSITE ANALYSIS

2. • Actual content has monochromatic colour scheme
(black+white+blue)
• Title font is very informal, the N is in a speech bubble
– could connote that the newspaper is spoken about
a lot – actual title of website differs to newspaper
(Newbury today vs. Newbury Weekly News) shows
difference in availability of news, instant vs once a
week
• Simplistic language
• Lots of pictures (very visual)
• Not suggestive headlines – summaries of the story
• Interactive site – login/register, comments, sharing
buttons
• Trending now – idea of immediacy, popular website?
Most read/most commented give illusion of popular
website again
• Lots of adverts providing revenue
Accessed on the 26/10/15 at 22:10

3. • Stories laid out in simple fashion (one long row)
• Has social media page – links to twitter/facebook
+ poll – increases interactivity
• Ads related to the season provide idea of active
webpage
• Webpage put into sections (news, all districts,
videos) easy for audience to use
• Pictures accompany each photo easy to see what
story is about
• Simple headlines, summaries of articles (E.g.
Newbury bridal shop launch designer label)
• Adverts to provide revenue
Accessed on the 26/10/15 at 22:11

4. • Interactive website (links to social media, register/sign
in/search)
• Font of title (The Reading Chronicle) quite professional, similar
to what a broadsheet would have
• Defined sections of website
(news/sport/announcements/what’s on) easier for audience
to engage
• Provides services which aren’t typically what are associated
with local newspapers (dating)
• Very visual – straight to the point
• Headlines simple + explain story
• Lots of adverts to provide revenue
• Weather – provides idea of website being up to date, know
their target audience (local people)
• Main story highlighted – idea of importance
Accessed on the 26/10/15 at 22:14

5. • Pictures to accompany all stories – more
visual, gives more opportunity to get views on
the story
• Dates on the stories – gives people idea of
when they’re looking at the stories (I.e. story
about snow on front page but dated 4 days
ago)
• Promotion of a more interactive site – signing
up for email alerts for local stories
• Adverts to generate revenue
• Main story of day = big, less important are a
few lines and one small picture
• Stories put in a chronological order, also lined
up in a simplistic manner
Accessed on the 26/10/15 at 22:15

6. • Similar layout to the Reading Chronicle
• Simple colour scheme (blue/black/white)
• Title very rounded – suggests less professional, more relaxed
• Interactive website – register/sign in, search, links to social
media, contact us page
• Has services which aren’t typically what are associated with
local newspapers (dating)
• Weather included – idea of target audience (people from
Kingston) and webpage is updated at least once a day
• Main story highlighted to suggest importance, use of
capitalised ‘UPDATE’ to attract readers attention to the story
• Lots of adverts – generating of revenue
• Mixes serious stories with sensationalist stories
Accessed on the 26/10/15 at 22:20

7. • Pictures to accompany all stories – more visual,
gives more opportunity to get views on the story
• Dates on the stories – gives people idea of when
they’re looking at the stories (I.e. story about
snow on front page but dated 4 days ago)
• Promotion of a more interactive site – signing up
for email alerts for local stories and also
encourages user generated content “send in your
news, pictures & videos” also provides an
indicator to show how many comments each
story has
• Adverts to generate revenue
• Main story of day is big, less important stories are
a few lines and one small picture
• Stories put in a chronological order, also lined up
in a simplistic manner
• Mixes human interest stories with ‘proper’ (more
like broadsheet) style news
Accessed 26/10/15 at 22:20

8. • Similar to Kingston Guardian + Reading Chronicle
• Simple colour scheme (blue/black/white)
• Title very rounded – suggests less professional,
more relaxed
• Interactive website – register/sign in and search
• Uses services which aren’t typically what are
associated with local newspapers, niche markets?
(dating and weddings)
• Weather included – idea of target audience
(people from Yeovil) and webpage is updated at
least once a day
• Main story highlighted – gives it more appeal to
reader and makes it stand out
• Has an archive – people want to see past stories
• Story with a celebrity on the front, appeals to fans
of the celebrity
Accessed on 26/10/15 22:22

9. • Headline, picture then text, provides a
chronological order for the audience
• Has caption describing the picture which
could be useful for more confusing stories
(such as this one)
• Has date published and what category it’s in,
making it easier for people to find
• The website keeps to typical monochromatic
style (blue, white and black)
• Interactive – ability to share, sign up for
emails, comment and send in your own
content
• Has most popular column
19/02/16 00:01

10. • Picture is main focus on page
• Includes who wrote it, date and time and
also category it is in ‘News’
• Headline summarises whole story
• Most popular on side of page (links to
front page)
• Interactive – asks for UGC/gets audience
to comment/share
• Lots of adverts
19/02/16 00:03

11. • The headline doesn’t make much sense
(not a proper sentence) “Police have
moved to close a premises in Reading”-
inaccurate use of pluralising, shows the
inaccuracy of local newspapers (lack of
checking?)
• Adverts (same one as Kingston Guardian?
Not so local?)
• Headline is vague, in popular culture
described as ‘clickbait’ as it is attempting
to make audience read
• Childish graphics – not very professional
• Has a most popular column
19/02/16 00:14