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New Media, Done Right
Although she may be well-familiar to the readers of this blog, which is, after all, supporting a left-leaning show on PBS (is there any other kind?) Friday's guest, Arianna Huffington, deserves a few extra words of praise.
In this new millenium, with the publishers, newspapers and magazines looking frantically to the Web for the answers to how to stay current in the new, tech-savvy world, The Huffington Post has got it right. Launched by Ms. Huffington in 2005, the Post provides a gleaming example of what new media can and should be.
While its mainstay is political news and opinion, the site has branched out into entertainment, culture and media reporting, making it something of a one-stop shop for Web surfers looking for their daily fix of any of the above. While using its political credibility to full advantage, breaking stories about the presidential race, and keeping a close watch on the goings on on Capitol Hill, it also incorporates elements of the best literary, entertainment and gossip blogs on the Web. Today's site, and the cross-section of stories there, provides a good case for that point.
Huffington leads, as always, with commentary on the biggest story of the day; today it's John McCain's recent campaign problems. Down the page, a story on aftershocks in China, and a man rescued after 11 days buried under rubble. Further down, a post about the "worst poet ever," and beyond that, a breakdown of celebrity summer swimsuits.
Combining this variety of topics is something that other publications, both print and Web, would be wary of doing for fear of weakening their brands. For The Huffington Post, however, it only serves to bring more traffic and increase the site's prestige.