Two tools help readers find information they’re interested in.
When I first arrived at The Chronicle in 2009 up until a month ago, this was the writing-editing-design process:
It worked, but it felt clunky. Plus we were using the InCopy/InDesign system in the opposite way it’s intended, which is pages are created, space is made for stories, the editors assign out through InCopy with an inch count and so on.
In November 2011, we moved our focus on Internet-first and switched from six days of physical product to three. All of a sudden, our InCopy/InDesign system felt incredibly mismatched to what our goals (Internet-first being one of them) were.
One day, Visual Editor Chris Geier sent me an email about a system the Bangor Daily News uses, which combines Google Docs, WordPress and InDesign. Continue reading
As of this morning, all Chronicle blogs now have a friendlier look when they’re viewed on mobile phones.
I used WPTouch, which is a free Wordpress plugin that automatically turns your full WordPress site into a mobile version. It’s incredibly easy to use — just install, activate the plugin, and you’re up and running.
A dropdown menu in the top right corner provides quick access to blog categories, RSS feeds and a way to email the owner of the blog.
If you view the blogs from a tablet device, there’s still an option to revert back to the full version of the site.
Enjoy!
Twitter is a great way to get breaking news, updates on stories and send us quick notes. Here’s how to find us:
@chronline — Our main account on which we tweet breaking news.
@ChronicleSirens — Adam Pearson, crime reporter
@ChronSport — The Chronicle sports department, curated by Peter Caster
@ChronAVT — Chronicle Sports Editor Aaron VanTuyl
@tara_leonard — Tara Leonard, web dev/page designer/food columnist
@ChronKim — Kimberly Mason, outdoors writer
Find us on Facebook! We’re always finding new ways to connect via what seems like everybody’s favorite social media website.
Here’s a list of our Facebook pages:
Main page: http://www.facebook.com/thecentraliachronicle
Tara’s Bites by Tara Leonard: http://www.facebook.com/taraleonard01
Kimberly Mason, outdoors writer: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Mason-The-Chronicle/271271739577524
Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on Chronversations, a blog that will be authored by newsroom staff and editors.
What are the primary functions of Chronversations?
1. There’s a difference between talking to and talking with readers.
We want to talk with you, the readers. We want to hear your feedback, comments, criticisms and praise. What do you want to see on Chronline? Are there things we can improve upon? Are we doing something right? Feel free to leave comments on stories or contact us via email or social media. Continue reading