Unit C - How News is Consumed Flashcards
According to Jakob Nielsen, what percentage of online news consumers read every word?
16%.
According to Jakob Nielsen, what percentage of online news consumers scan?
79%.
How can we cater for the online reader? (four ways)
- highlighted keywords
- straightforward, informative text
- bulleted list
- half the wordcount of conventional writing
Why do people scan? (four reasons)
- reading from the screen is tiring for the eyes and about 25% slower than reading from paper
- people want to feel they are active whilst on the web, to move on and click things
- users move between many pages and try to pick the tastiest segments from each
- people don’t have time to work too hard for their information
What does writing for online have in common with writing for a print publication?
Our writing should still be clear, simple and concise. A good intro – or sell – is still vital. The inverted triangle, short sentences and short paragraphs are still essential.
What additional story-telling techniques can we use online?
Slide shows of still images, audio, video, blogs, and internal and external links.
Name three ways we can obtain feedback from readers online.
Through reader comments on stories, from reader votes or polls, by asking questions during web chats.
How long might the headline be on a web article?
Three or four words.
How necessary are subheadings?
On a short story - maybe unnecessary. Can help for stories of six or more paragraphs. A must after every three or four paragraphs.
How else can we help scanners absorb dense information?
Bulleted lists.
What is one advantage of online news over print?
You can link one story to another.
What are the two types of links? Describe them.
Internal links:
- other stories in that day’s/week’s news section that are relevant to the item
- links to archive items for context of story. Also shows search engines that we think certain stories are important.
External links:
- websites of individuals or organisations mentioned
- websites allowing readers to find out more about a subject.
What is the disclaimer that is usually included alongside external links?
That we cannot take responsibility for the links’ content as it is beyond our editorial control.
Why are links useful to the reader?
They support the web ethos that information should be freely accessible and shared openly.
Why should we not worry about linking to other, possibly rival, sites?
If the site is interesting, relevant, and authoritative, then readers will come back after viewing the link.
