OC Register.com Needs To Fix The Basics

As a blogger, it's interesting to watch the ongoing blogification of the OC Register. The online versions of the news stories increasingly resemble blog posts. Indeed, the individual story links more and more frequently are to posts on OCR blogs. The folks at the Reg now recognize the importance of commenters: the number of comments is prominently displayed underneath the headlines on the website.

The OCR ran a story today calling attention to this continuing transformation, saying "We've upgraded OCRegister.com" by enabling readers to publish blogs, news and photos on their website.

That's a shrewd step in the right direction.

But while they're in the upgrading mood, perhaps they can also-re-focus on some basics such as making sure one can find stories on the website.

Today is a perfect example. The biggest story of the day -- Bishop Brown's contempt hearing -- is nowhere to be found on OCRegister.com (except for the electronic paper available to subscribers). A story about missing pages in today's Register is prominently displayed, but no word on the front-of-the-Local-section, top-of-the-fold Bishop Brown story that's missing from the OCR website.

Furthermore, OCRegister.com still routinely buries stories in the city-by-city sections of the website (which themselves give no ready indication which stories are new and which are a week or more old.

So, good job on the added bells-and-whistles to the website, OCRegister.com -- but can you please fix the basics of a good newspaper website while you're at it?

Lastly, I notice the print edition is beginning to upgrade their columnist photos, beginning with marquis columnist Frank Mickadeit. Frank actually gets two different mugshots: the one accompanying the teaser headline, in which they have him posed looking beyond the camera and over the horizon, wearing an expression of intrepid insight. Topping the column itself is a more casual, approachable, pull-up-a-chair-and-chat head-and-shoulders shot.

We'll see what they do with Gordon Dillow and Yvette Cabrera.

Comments

[The Register still needs help]

I still find it hard to find some articles that appear in the print addition in the online version. Some don't seem to be there at all.

[Mike Crabtree]

The OC Site looks great! Yes, more work needs to be done, but the management team does have the right vision.

[killerjoe]

Perhaps the Santa Ana, oops Orange County Register could bring back Forrest Kimler. That would set things right.

[Mike Crabtree]

Like life teaches us, time to move on.