Newspaper won’t change, but online approach will

Editorial

 

Last updated 3/28/2012 at 12:30pm



With the decision this year to revamp The Star Online, and starting to charge for full access to it, readers will soon find added benefits in subscribing and that the online version will supplement the printed one.

The decision will mean that updates in between issues won’t be stealing any thunder from the printed newspaper, just preluding it, so there is added incentive to get news online faster.

In addition, readers will find a few new features to the site we launched in February, which at present does not require a subscription, but will soon.

Some features of this new site you may have missed:

We think this new site will be much easier to use, both for readers and for us. A few features worth mentioning:

• Each section is tabbed at the top of the page for easy navigation. Several stories appear on the home page, too, but clicking on them leads you to the story in the section that contains them.

• In addition, the five most viewed and most commented-on articles are listed in the right-hand column of the home page.

• Also, if you like, after you open each story, you can click on the PDF link at the upper right hand corner to see a digital copy of the actual print newspaper on your screen.

• Within stories, certain words and phrases may be highlighted in blue, indicating there is more about it in other stories on the site. Clicking on those highlighted words will take you to a list of those stories.

• Finally, a "Current Issue" link is found at the top right of each current story preview. Clicking on that will list all the stories in the current issue.

— Scott Hunter

editor and publisher

 
 

Reader Comments(4)

ScottHunter writes:

@Donna. You will be able to read the first bit of each story in the online version. And at least one story each week will be available to everyone coming to this site. Obituaries will also be free. For more access, you will need a subscription. -- Scott Hunter

donnaping writes:

Thanks for getting back on the subscription rate. So...it will b $24 or $2 a month or 50 cents a week to view the current news in Coulee Dam/Grand Coulee. Any chance we could view the online like it is now without all the fancey stuff even if it was a week late so we don't have to pay for the subscription. The Wenatchee World did that...you could read just the lead paragraph of the story, but if you wanted to read the entire thing then you had to wait a week before it was available. Just a thought.

ScottHunter writes:

Online access will be the cost of a local subscription, currently $24, no matter where you are on the planet. This will include an e-edition of the newspaper (not just the website). You find that in the upper right corner of any story. Click on View PDF. Here's a direct link to the current issue: http://ow.ly/9WvQH Scott Hunter

donnaping writes:

Hi...you still haven't mentioned the cost to get on-line access to The Star...especially for those of us who are still interested in Coulee Dam, lived there, attended school there, etc. I have enjoyed reading the on line edition of The Star for quite a few years and hate to see you start charging for it. I live in Arizona so a print edition of a weekly newspaper does not work. Will there be some of the online newspaper available without charge? Donna Cunning

 
 
 

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