Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Let's admit it: the N&O web site has major flaws

The N&O's web site stinks -- at least when it comes to national news.

How do I know this? Just look at the disaster that happened this past Friday, when the N&O posted a story about dramatic new video of the Hudson River landing of US Airways flight 1549 -- great story but the N&O didn't bother embedding the video or give readers a link to the video. (John in Carolina first noticed the bizarre situation and blogged about it here.) Mysteriously, the N&O article disappeared from the web site a day or so later. FYI, the original article has been cached; you can see it here.

In comments on my blog, commenters who seem to know how McClatchy's web operation works say the AP story was a feed which was automatically posted to the N&O site. One commenter said AP content lives two weeks on MNI sites and then is automatically purged unless it's otherwise removed.

So if I have it right, this is how national news is posted on the N&O web site -- national feeds are automatically posted to the web site and nobody superintends the posts, adds video, or adds links or graphics or interesting photos. It's done by rote.

John in Carolina has emailed editor Ted Vaden for an explanation. Maybe he can shed more light on how the N&O's web site is set up and maybe he has has more information on what went wrong in this case. But jeez, if this is how the N&O site operates, this is a disaster; customers who want national or international news will abandon the N&O site.

The N&O's local stuff is fine. People want to read about their community and the N&O is poised to provide good local info.

But the national news posted on the N&O site is absolute garbage. And you can thank the "dramatic video story" for exposing the weakness of the McClatchy system.
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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there any day that McClatchy Watch can say anything positve about McClatchy newspaper? I know you lost your job but there are thousands that are still employed by McClatchy. Give them a break and quit complaining about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they do.

Anonymous said...

I noticed this post on a back thread. (Evaporated ?) One would wonder why this story was removed. It was still an active story in dozens of papers. I wonder if the N&O paid their AP bill?
*****
Anonymous said...
-Tape shows NC-bound plane's Hudson River landing-
By RICHARD PYLE - Associated Press Writer
Published: Fri, Jan. 23, 2009 06:47AM
Modified Fri, Jan. 23, 2009 08:36AM
------------------------
Published
Modified
Evaporated

SOP - No

Anonymous said...

Next McClatchy Watch shocker: Split infinitive exposes utter bankruptcy of N&O's coverage of UNC basketball!

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:10 AM “say anything positive about McClatchy newspaper”

Here’s a positive statement for McClatchy
Print less- Save trees
Trees I hug

Anonymous said...

This just in: Slightly out-of-registration photo demonstrates death of visual journalism! Readers pluck out their eyeballs in dismay, and send emails to ombudsman!

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:10

Playing the ostrich will not save your job. You signed up with dinosaurs, so why is facing extinction such a surprise? You were extinct from the get go. Blame the college that took your money, while NOT telling you the truth. Blame all the new journos graduating that will STEAL your job, because they will work for less salary.

McClatchy offers help to find other jobs, ain’t that a grand gesture?

Anonymous said...

News flash: Kevin Gregory realizes the letters in Dion Nissenbaum's name can be rearranged to spell Hamas!

He spends the next 30 minutes trying to come up with new superlatives for evil.

Anonymous said...

Reading the little wienie’s childish remarks, makes one wonder why ‘uninformed’ McClatchy-ites would come here in the first place. Moth to the flame syndrome, or rats on a sinking ship looking for a lifeline? Even their comments are lame, whining about commas, while we are talking about holding VIPs accountable. What a doofus, go recite your pledge,

“I swear to uphold the “authentic” voice of pack journalism.”

Anonymous said...

Anon says, “Dion Nissenbaum's name can be rearranged to spell Hamas!”

That is the first thing you have said that is correct. Bravo!

Anonymous said...

Whiny “quit complaining” Anon,

It is clear you don’t even read your own newspaper, the end is near.
Actually, I can’t fault you for ignoring the pap, it is a colossal waste of time.

Anonymous said...

Re: Slightly out-of-registration photo...

The print and TV media solicits free photos form the public, they don’t want to even pay a photojournalist, and you find fault with someone that would point out a loss of jobs for professional journeymen?
You deserve the soup lines.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:16 As far as the end is near. You said that 2 years ago and WE'RE still here drawing a nice fat check.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:16 says, "As far as the end is near. You said that 2 years ago and WE'RE still here drawing a nice fat check."

Man, you are either Gary Pru, or a journalist on life support. Either way, your day is done. Try attending the new AA-type,
DD Meetings. Stand before your group, repeat:
I am a Dead Duck, I was hopelessly addicted, I......

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:16 As far as the end is near. You said that 2 years ago and WE'RE still here drawing a nice fat check.
-------------
Moron please. A fat paycheck is what people short selling your abomination get. Unless you happen to be one of the clowns ripping off your staff and shareholders, you don't have a clue what a fat paycheck is.

Anonymous said...

Shocking disclosure: N&O's profitable internet operation hurts delicate feelings of bloggers who work for free!

Anonymous said...

McClatchy Interactive used to have a content team that provided the national online content for the papers, editing the content, adding links/audio/graphics/etc.....before the group was mis-managed into oblivion. (Or as Mike Tyson would say, "Bolivia.")

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:39 I bet your part of the dead wood they got rid of.

Anonymous said...

"...before the group was mis-managed into oblivion. (Or as Mike Tyson would say, "Bolivia.")


That made me laugh right out loud. Man, this is fun reading today.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:10 AM, Stay positve.

[you ask, say] “anything [positve] about McClatchy newspaper?”

Your spelling was close enough for McCrappy. Treat your editor to lunch. They don’t make the big bucks like you do.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:26 AM, worries about split infinitives, and I worry about all the swear words on the blogs these days. What shall we do? Shall we unite behind a universal cleaner-upper editor? One so full of talent they can sweep the blogs clean of off-color words, and correct those unsightly grammatical errors in one fell swoop? Is there such a supreme editor/messiah at large? Let us go search in the McClatchy stable for such a talent.

Anonymous said...

You must really hate Howard Weaver dropping the 'F' bomb.