Site critique: Toledo Blade

As I continue my virtual tour of Ohio’s newspapers, I decided to take a look at the Toledo Blade (www.toledoblade.com).  It’s a middle circulation newspaper (in the range of 75,000 daily), but has a really good reputation for its print edition, having won several Pulitzer prizes.

However, I was less than impressed with the Blade’s online content after taking some time to browse it.  There are some blogs, which are accessed fairly easily from the side panel on the left, but the content and presentation is less than stellar.  There are only two blogs linked to on the main blog page, which definitely isn’t enough to generate a lot of buzz. One is a sports blog and only has one entry linked to it directly.

There also is no discernible multimedia presence on the site. It’s a shame since the Blade does a lot of special reports that feature amazing stories. These stories are ripe for extra content. I don’t know if it’s a problem of vision or of resources, but the Blade definitely needs to step up its game and realize that online media are here to stay and that it needs to find its niche in that arena, as well as its print edition.

Olympic news contest

Beijing Olympic officials announced Thursday a competition to vote on the top 10 biggest news stories so far of the 2008 Olympics. Officials reported that 10,000 votes were cast already in the first day of voting. People can choose from a shortlist of 20 stories, and online ballots are available in Chinese, French and English. The voting will last until December 21.

Possible stories include: the unveiling of the design of the Olympic medals, the release of the planned route of the Olympic torch, the sale of Olympics tickets (second phase),  the one-year countdown to the games and anti-doping efforts.

So what are my picks for the top news stories relating to the Olympics? I’ll give you five (10 is a little PRy).

Beijing and environmentalism: You won’t find this one on the BOCOG list, but it’s one of the most important stories of the year (regardlesss of the Olympics).  Officials have been touting different initiatives throughout the year that China is doing to improve the envrionment before international athletes arrive. I was at an Olympic press conference in June that announced some of the biggest ones, including plans to replace older buses, limit traffic during the Olympics and shut down some factories during the games. But there’s a lot of work to do, and I for one will be surprised if the games don’t come off without a lot of athlete complaints about the environment.

Torch relay: The announcement last spring of the torch relay was one of the biggest Olympic stories. The path was the longest route ever planned, and its destinations included Mount Everest, as well as Taiwan. Taiwan later renounced being part of the relay, just another signal of the tense relations between the mainland and Taiwan.

Medal unveiling: Alright, who doesn’t dream when they’re little of being bedecked with an Olympic medal? It might not be hard news, but anytime a country unveils its design for the medals, that’s a big deal.

China and Sudan: Some countries have threatened to boycott the Olympics because of China’s relations with the Sudan as the genocide in Darfur continues. This has mostly been a fringe movement, and I doubt that any countries will really back out. However, it’s important that countries are linking the pomp of the Olympics with social justice considering China’s many shortcomings in that area.

China and transportation: The nation is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in terms of how people get around. This is mainly in terms of the three subway systems that are scheduled to open by the time the games start.  These systems are going to completely change the way people get around and Beijing. Parts of the city that haven’t been connected now will be, which is crucial to a successful Olympics as people try to  travel around from event to event.

So, what do you think is the biggest Olympic news event of the year?

Putting together the Olympic outfit

When we turn on our televisions in August to watch the 2008 Olympics, there are a lot of things we will notice: the athletes, the performances, the stadiums, the pyrotechnics, etc. Something that most of us probably won’t notice is the people who bedeck the athletes with medals and flowers. But that doesn’t mean that their wadrobe isn’t causing something of a stir in China.

I know, it’s odd. However, according to an article that I read in China Daily, the Chinese are debating what their hosts will wear and how those outfits should reflect a combination of Chinese culture, the Olympics and modern fashion. Part of the problem, no doubt, is that the uniforms also are supposed to reflect national characteristics. In China’s case, there are almost a hundred different cultures and traditions that the country could draw from. How do you pick one as the distinguishing dress?

Right now there is an ongoing international contest that is seeking to narrow top designs down to eight finalists. The winner’s design will be first shown at celebrations marking the 100-day countdown to the Olympics. Sort of reminds me of Bravo’s Project Runway.

My best advice to the potential designers would be to keep it simple, but keep Chinese culture in the forefront. That doesn’t mean the pattern has to be traditional, but I think the print at least needs to be. I, for one, am going to be paying attention to what the medal givers are wearing in August.

Defining the blog

Journalists and publication Web sites have been increasing content on the Internet for several years now, and one of the techniques that many news sites have turned to is blogging. Blogging differs from traditional journalism in several ways, although reporters could stand to take some tips from their blogging counterparts from time to time.

So what makes a blog a blog? According to Wikipedia, “Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.” For example, the (Raleigh) News & Observer Web site, newsobserver.com makes use of several blogs, including Under the Dome, which is devoted to state and local politics, and The Editor’s Blog, which comes from the perspective of the paper’s top editors. The site’s blogs are maintained by editors and writers at the N & O.

What makes these posts blogs are that they provide information in a non-linear format, and they provide a unique voice on different niche topics. The blogs include links to related subjects, and they give in-depth perspectives to specific stories. Sometimes these stories don’t merit full articles in the newspaper or online, but they’re still interesting tidbits to put out in the public discourse. Other times, the blogs can be used to spark a public debate or to better integrate a community.

Some blogs, such as the L.A. Times Blog on Breaking News, also is used to put up information quickly as it becomes available. For example, as fires continue to ravage the state, staffers have put updated information on the blogs, as well as their state and local sections. This blog is used mostly for news purposes.

Others, such as New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, use blogs to supplement their newspaper work. Pogue’s column only runs once a week, but he provides additonal commentary on technological devices and topics on a more consistent basis through his blog.

So what makes a blog good? What separates the wannabe bloggers from the real deals? According to ProBlogger, a blog that blogs about blogging, there are several factors. Some of those include writing for a niche audience and making sure that your content caters to that audience by providing useful and unique content. Having a unique voice, creating meaningful categories and using relevant and engaging images also are important qualities that Australian blogger Darren Rowse cites in ProBlogger.

One of my favorite blogs to read is Blog Maverick, written by owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. This blog is interesting because the person writing it is a famous person who has a very distinctive voice that people such as myself like to read. The blog doesn’t really have any external links, which would be harmful to the average blogger. It also isn’t very visual. Cuban can get away with this because his voice is so strong (he also certainly doesn’t need ad revenue from his blog).

On the other hand, the blog BoingBoing (A Directory of Wonderful Things) has a lot of visual elements, such as pictures, links, raised quotes in color, etc. As a general technique, this is more effective because there are more places for the reader to become engaged. This way, I also can check more sources, and see that the posters have credible information.

Another blog I really enjoy is one on the Asheville Citizen-Times Web site, which is updated three times a week by Congressman Heath Shuler. The site is visually pleasing and easy to read and navigate. The blogroll on the right side of the page that lists other recent updates is particularly helpful. I think this blog combines the best of both worlds because it has an interesting voice providing unique content in a visually pleasing way.

Beijing airport

I’ve written a lot in previous blogs about the expansion of Beijing’s ground transportation, namely the subway and bus systems. But city officials also are taking steps to ease air traffic congestion as the 2008 Olympic games approach. In fact, a third runway at Beijing Capital International Airport opened Monday.

The move is meant to help ease the traffic at what is China’s largest and busiest airport. The airport handles 1,100 arrival and departure flights every day, according to an airport spokesman. That number is expected to rise to about 1,500 and peak at 1,900 a day during the Olympics. Preliminary plans also are in the works for a second airport south of Beijing.

These plans are just another sign that China is opening itself up more internationally. Flying to China from the U.S. can be a real pain because only a limited number of airports are allowed to fly to China and there is a quota on how many per day are permitted. That means that only the largest American airports, such as Chicago’s O-Hare, New York’s JFK and Washington D.C.’s Dulles, run flights between Beijing and the U.S. Increasing flight traffic capabilities is one sign that the Chinese government might be ready to ease more of its restrictions.

It will be interesting to watch how this all plays out. My couple of experiences traveling through this particular airport in Beijing were neither bad nor good. Sure, the lines were long and hectic at times, but I think American travelers are accustomed to that. The bigger issue is whether more potential flights will drive down the price of air tickets to China or just make it more accessible for more people. Either way, it’ll be good to have this extra station in place for when the games hit town in August.

Columbus Dispatch Web site

The Columbus Dispatch is Ohio’s largest newspaper and is based in the state’s capital. Among Ohioans such as myself it’s generally considered the state’s second best newspaper (after the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which has a slightly smaller circulation). Although I am a fan of the print product, the Web site fails to impress me. It is very cluttered, and it’s hard for me to navigate the home page. The ads take up at least half of the first page that I see, and I can’t figure out where my eyes are supposed to go first.

When I viewed the page, the lead story had to do with an explosion in Pakistan and was the only story I could view without scrolling down. If I was going to this site for local news (which I likely would be), this would be a big turnoff. On the plus side, the blogs and podcasts were included right by the news and business tabs on the left side of the screen, which I thought was a good way to promo interactive content/new media. But even the links to these go to unattractive pages that don’t make me want to go any deeper into the site, which is a shame since I’ve read some quality content in the print edition of the paper.

I also examined The Columbus Dispatch’s correction policy, correction policy, which, according to its Web site is: The newspaper corrects any significant errors of fact brought to the attention of the editors. If you think an error has been made, call 614-461-5271. Corrections will be printed below.

When I searched for one recent story that was corrected, I was disappointed to see that the correction had not been attached to the incorrect article in any way. The story was about Ohio State besting the University of Florida as the having the biggest campus population in the U.S. (finally a victory for the Buckeyes) and incorrectly reported by how much by nearly 300 students (the real number was almost twice as large). It was a pretty substantial error, and I definitely could see the error being repeated by people looking for the numbers for future stories or research.

I would suggest that the publication take steps to include corrections either above or below the stories that contain errors.

China to field its largest Olympics squad ever

When the Olympic Games come to Beijing in August, the home team is expected to field its largest group of Olympic participants ever at about 570 athletes, China Olympic officials announced. As of September, 500 athletes already had officially qualified. Some Olympic qualification events still must be completed. China had 397 athletes in the 2004 Athens games.

It seems appropriate that the world’s most populous nation and Olympic host should have the largest squad. The interesting thing about Liu Peng’s, sports chief for the Beijing games, announcement was that he tempered it with saying that the Chinese people shouldn’t have increased expectations for how many gold medals the athletes will garner.

In honor of the announcement, here is a preview of some of China’s best prospects for the 2008 games:

Diving: China is a perennial powerhouse in this field. Springboard diver Yang Yuting recently won the 3m springboard at the Military World Games and is expected to be a strong contender at the 2008 games. On the men’s side, Li Shixin won the 1m springboard at the Military World Games and is expected to lead the men’s springboard squad a the games.
Gymnastics: The Chinese are expected to field a strong squad at the summer games. The women will be led by 2004 Athens all-around bronze medalist Zhang Nan and vault specialist Cheng Fei. The men will be led by pommel horse specialist Teng Haibin and World Champion Xiao Qin.
Ping pong: Known in Olympic circles as table tennis, the Chinese traditionally dominate this competition. Wang Hao, the 2004 silver medalist, will be looking to avenge his defeat to South Korean Ryu Seung Min in the 2008 competition. He made good progress toward that goal last week when he defeated Ryu at an international competition in Spain.

Cincinnati Enquirer site

I’ve decided as part of my site critiques blogs for this class to start going through some of the Web sites for the papers of my home state. So, I figured that I would start off with the site for my hometown newspaper, The (Cincinnati) Enquirer. The site, as part of Gannett’s increased emphasis on online content, has served as a testing ground for new concepts such as the “DataCenter,” according to a Gannett recruiter who I spoke to last spring.

The site has definitely evolved a lot during my time at UNC, and I get a lot more out of it than I did before I left for college. My biggest complaint is that the homepage of the site is cluttered and most of the text is too small. However, I do think that it is very smart that the site includes easy links for XML, podcasts, RSS and mobile alerts at the top (below the ads but above the lead stories). I think that people will increasingly look to options such as these in the future and that it’s important to play them up prominently.

Other changes that I like about the site are the inclusion of more videos, a GetLocal section and a GetPublished section. Gannett also owns the local weekly paper that serves my suburban neighborhood, so now I have access to those stories that interest me, as well as the citywide and statewide stories that I find compelling.

When I was running for editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s campus newpaper, last spring, I modeled part of my platform after the Enquirer site, namely the GetPublished section. I like this section because it creates an interactive forum for readers of The Enquirer. The newspaper doesn’t always have the resources to cover every little event, so, assuming that some editing and fact checking still occurs, this is a great venue to give the community more information.

There are a lot of questions as to whether this type of journalism is succeeding, but I think it’s definitely worth trying.

Handicap friendly?

Ever since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in the early 1990s, making facilities more handicap accessible, has been a focus for U.S. planning officials. But that focus also spills over onto a global stage, particularly for world-class events such as the summer Olympics. As Beijing continues to gear up for the 2008 games, Chinese officials are looking at ways to make the country’s transportation system more handicap friendly, according to newspaper China Daily.

According to the news article, changes include making the subway cars wheelchair accessible, installing braille signs and building “barrier-free” passages. Renovations also will include an upgrade to the metro system’s wireless network.

These changes definitely are well past due. Only a handful of the subway stations I encountered in Beijing had wheelchair ramps or were designed with any thought about physically disabled people. The ones I did find that had ramps usually were near tourist attractions such as Tiananmen Square. But all of Beijing will become a tourist attraction once the games hit town next year.

I’m still a little skeptical that these changes can be implemented in time for the old subway systems, although they’ve already been considered in the planning process for the new subway stations, which should open by early 2008. Having only half of Beijing’s subway system’s stations handicap accessible won’t make a good impression though. Especially since the Paralympic Games will be held directly after the Olympics conclude, it’s a necessity to improve these facilities. Those games are catered specifically for athletes with physical limitations, so it’s pretty essential to have a cohesive plan for international athletes with disabilities, as well as their guests.

Beijing is a big city and navigating it will be difficult even for those without physical handicaps. I hope that city officials go the extra mile to make the experience a navigable one for everyone.

Olympic transportation

When the Olympics come to Beijing in August 2008, the crowds that will accompany the Games are expected to try the city’s transportation system. With that in mind, Beijing officials are rolling out plans aimed at increasing the use of public transportation options, according to China Daily, the country’s largest English-language newspaper. In that vein, the city is meeting to talk about possibly reducing subware fares.

Reading this bit of news made me think back to my trips via Beijing’s public transportation system, namely by bus and subway — I am assuming this doesn’t apply to taxi fares, which aren’t mentioned in the story. Bus trips cost half a yuan a pop (about 8 cents to the U.S. dollar), and the subway costs 3 yuan (or about 35 cents). These systems already are well-trafficked by Beijingers because they are relatively cheap, but they are increasingly coming into conflict with the growing purchase of automobiles by Chinese consumers.

When I was interning this summer in Beijing, the development of public transportation was one a very heated topic. On the one hand, the government is trying to limit pollution during next year’s Olympics because they are afraid elevated pollution levels will affect the performances of Olympic athletes. On the other hand, the government has to grapple with balancing the need for public transportation with private vehicle use. I think the price decreases are an interesting gamble, but it is important to note that they are just that — a calculated bet. With three new subway lines already under construction, the government is putting a lot of resources into public transportation. And this decrease in prices apparently will be subsidized by the government. I think this is a costly experiment; it would be much more efficient if the government could more people using these resources without this extra enticement.

Either way, I don’t think this strategy will be effective in decreasing pollution for the 2008 Olympics. However, it might provide a more sustainable model for improving Beijing’s reliance on public transportation and helping to improve pollution in the long term if it can encourage enough Beijinger’s to utilize public transportation.