CNN's Web site offers a comprehensive politics section filled with informative content such as the latest headlines, recent poll estimates and politics video. Not only does the site provide thorough campaign coverage, but it gets points in the categories of design and format as well. It's pleasing to the eye with large pictures and lots of color. In addition, the different sections are organized in a way that does not clutter the page and enables readers to easily navigate through the site. Overall, cnn.com takes advantage of the Web, creating a multimedia experience for users interested in the 2008 presidential election.
This site is almost overwhelming as you scroll down farther and farther, and a seemingly endless number of tabs show up. However, it offers creative tools that involve readers in ways that most other sites do not. For instance, an interactive tool allows users to rearrange the different political sections so that the ones you care about most will move to the top of the screen. Moreover, it has a debates section that does way more than just display the video. It also maps out when each candidate speaks and provides key words and phrases that users can select from to see where they were mentioned during the debate. In addition, the site encourages user participation with numerous surveys and polls.
While The New York Times Web site does not have fun, interactive Web features like the other sites, it certainly makes up for it when it comes to the quality of coverage. Although many newspapers have been experiencing staff cutbacks, they often still have more reporters than TV or online journalism companies. This much is clear when looking at the number of stories showcased on nytimes.com compared with msnbc.com and cnn.com. If you like to read about politics, The New York Times site's in-depth coverage provides enough reading material to last for the whole day. In addition, the site does offer some helpful elements such as audio selections and a multimedia search.
What about TV and print journalism?
Political coverage on TV is not usually very detailed, but it serves its purpose for viewers just looking to get a quick update on the election. It helps that TV allows you to see and hear from the candidates themselves. However, TV news can be especially inconvenient for college students who are not always home to watch the evening newscasts. Print newspapers present a similar dilemma. People can get much of the same content available in newspapers on the Web at their leisure. It is unlikely that many people would go out of their way to find and pay for a newspaper instead of going online where a multimedia experience is at your fingertips.
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