Herald-Sun
In one of the most transparent website design copy jobs I have ever seen, the Herald-Sun stole basically the entire frontpage format of the online version of the New York Times this week, and as far as I can tell, does not give the NYT any credit as the inspiration for the visual upgrade.
Open the two websites in two browser windows to compare:
New York Times
Durham Herald-Sun
At the top left in light blue, the NYT lists: Jobs, Real Estate, Autos, All Classifieds
At the top left, in light blue, the Herald Sun lists: Jobs, Real Estate, Cars, Classifieds, Obituaries
The NYT has a Most Popular feature with three tabbed rankings for stories that are either Emailed, Blogged, or Searched. The Herald-Sun has a Most Popular feature but its tabs are Recommended, Commented, and Viewed.
The NYT encourages people to Log In at the upper right. The Herald-Sun encourages us to Sign In at the same location.
Fiona Morgan at the Indy has written a scathing analysis of the Durham Herald-Sun situation. As they also publish the Chapel Hill Herald, her conclusions
don't bode well for local media coverage in the future. It's also
really sad to read that Ginny Hoyle will depart. Given the reported
cutbacks at the N&O, it sure looks like this could be a great opportunity for the Daily Tar Heel to have an even more significant impact in this market.
The Herald-Sun's circulation has declined by 38 percent and its staff by more than half since the Paducah, Ky.-based Paxton Media Group bought the newspaper. Paxton, a private company, owns 32 newspapers, including seven in North Carolina, and one television station. But as chains go, it's a small-time operation. Most of its papers are in small Southeastern and Midwestern towns where there is no competing publication. The Herald-Sun continues to be its biggest newspaper.
But that paper is shrinking in every conceivable way.
- Indyweek.com: The Herald-Sun's nosedive, August 6, 2008
If you actually want people to read the (few) articles you are publishing online, it would help to not put flashing eyesores like this on the same page as the news.
You're letting the DTH make you look bad....
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