ALL of the media web pages are lame. On TV these media outlets claim they're on top of situations in the Toledo area, but log onto their web sites and you're lucky to get last week's news.
I think these TV stations maintain a website so it looks good on the crawl during the newscast. All Fluff.
posted by BrianInFlorida at 03:39 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
They're just now beginning to report the proposed New Jersey law banning smoking in your car. How long ago was it that I started that thread here? Yep, really on top of things....
posted by Foolkiller at 04:18 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
I just checked-I started that thread July 12th. And, boy, their new site DOES suck!! By the way-does anyone know what happened to Christa Quinn? I'm probably one of the few who thought she was hot. :) But, then, other than Larson and Melissa V. & Carlson (at channel 11), just about every tv personality I've ever liked is no longer in Toledo....but the ones who are annoying and/or I can't stand (like Anderson-seems like he's on 24 hours a day)are forever...
posted by Foolkiller at 04:31 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
The local news content did take a hit. The little box with 7 stories doesn't cut it. If you click More Local and then archive, you have the old style news links, and a much cleaner page.
posted by Bruno at 05:31 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
Channel 13 (ABC) has always been second best for me. I prefer Channel 11 (CBS) for local news. There seems to be a better mix of stories there.
Also, I believe to some extent, the websites for television stations are pretty much governed by the parent broadcast company. The folks at the local station might have better ideas for them, but the big dogs guard the bone.
Just an observation...
posted by DoknowDocare at 06:59 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
Like what BrianInFlorida says, find a media site that doesn't suck. Just about all of these media sites, TV, radio, newspaper, are bloated pigs that take forever to load over a dialup. Their homepages are too cluttered. They should feature the local news on their homepage. The local news is the only reason why I access their websites.
The Blade's website, however, is pretty good. Although the Blade does something funky with current stories that age and are found in the archives. When searching at news.google.com, sometimes when I click on a Toledo Blade story, the link is broken. The story exists, but its URL changed from the time Google indexed the story and the time that I accessed it. It doesn't happen often. A minor issue. I especially like the Blade's "Last 30 days search" section where you can get all of their news stories for the day on one page.
From a design viewpoint, the current look of the BG News is my favorite local media site. They redesigned last winter. What the BG News needs is a link that, like the Blade, will allow a user to display all of their news for the day on one page. They have news on the front page broken down by sections like most sites, but it's annoying clicking into each section to get the news. It's about the mouse clicks. Sites should be designed so the user only needs one or two mouse clicks to get to the info. Having all of the news on one page via one mouse click is simpler. That's why I access their RSS feed, but it's busted at the moment. The BG News has an archives section, which is missing from some media sites, but I don't like how they organize it. Way too many mouse clicks are needed.
But at least the BG News has a search at the top of the page and an archives section. And their stories have permalinks. Basic functionality that's included in most free content management systems that you can download over the Internet. But these features are missing from WSPD, Toledo City Paper, Toledo Journal, and Toledo Free Press. Rediculous. It's not 1996. It makes no sense for some of these sites to allow their news stories to vanish after a few days or a couple of weeks.
These are the local media sites I have on my list. If there are any others, provide the URL. Some of these sites, however, don't publish their news on their website, so what's the point of the site except for promotion?
ToledoBuzz
Toledo Blade
La Prensa
Sylvania Herald
Toledo Business Journal
Toledo City Paper
Toledo Free Press
Toledo Parent
The Herald Newspapers - West Toledo Herald, Sylvania Herald
The Maumee Mirror
Perrysburg Messenger Journal
Rossford Record Journal
Toledo Journal
Maumee Bay Press
Point & Shoreland Journal
BG News
The Monroe Evening News
The Courier (Findlay)
News Herald (Port Clinton)
UT News
WSPD
WGTE
WNWO
WTOL
WTVG
WUPW
posted by jr at 08:40 A.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
I think wtol has the best of the worst websites. I agree that most content is outdated. It's interesting on how the channels always want you to check out their website and then there is nothing to keep you coming back.
Does anyone else find it annoying that the local news covers national news, especially when national news is immediately after the local news? I'm tired of hearing the same news over and over again. I watch the local news to hear local stories, not national ones.
I wish there was an media outlet that did a adequate job of reporting Toledo's news. I'm tired of the daily routine of checking out toledoblade.com, wtol.com, 13abc.com, wspd.com, and toledotalk.com to get caught up on the news. Its quite time consuming, but maybe I'm just too much of a news junkie.
posted by lloyd at 10:26 P.M. EST on Tue Jul 26, 2005 #
I like to listen at times to the all-news channel out of Detroit AM 950 WWJ. They give national, international, regional, and local Detroit news. Maybe Toledo needs a low-power all-news radio channel. AM, FM, doesn't matter. Since the Blade or Block Communications publishes most of the news for northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan (Lake Erie West), it seems they would be the obvious group behind such a venture.
Would it take away from the Blade, since a person could "listen to the paper" on the radio? No, because the news stories on the radio are shortened considerably. To get the detailed story, a user would have to pick up a paper or check the Blade's website.
posted by jr at 01:13 P.M. EST on Wed Jul 27, 2005 #
The best news website I have found: www.news.com.au
It doesn't have Toledo stuff obviously but the world-wide news is absolutely great.
posted by thinkingwoman at 01:33 P.M. EST on Wed Jul 27, 2005 #
Good one thinkingwoman. Another one is Topix.net.
posted by jr at 02:27 P.M. EST on Wed Jul 27, 2005 #
Here's what happened to Christa Quinn, by the way. Figures...as I said...virtually EVERY tv personality i like /watch winds up leaving.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050404/COLUMNIST34/50403014&SearchID=73215646426085
posted by Foolkiller at 11:58 A.M. EST on Fri Jul 29, 2005 #
> EVERY tv personality i like /watch winds up leaving
Toledo isn't a place you stay if your career is advancing. "Onward and upward" sums it up pretty well.
swd
posted by swd at 03:42 P.M. EST on Sun Aug 07, 2005 #
There is such a glut of young people who want to be tv journalists that salaries are very low. Toledo is higher in the food chain than many but there are a lot higher places to go --if you are talented. On the other hand when was the last time a local anchor actually left Toledo without retiring? (Bill Hormann got fired from Ch. 11 but he's now on Ch. 13 so he doesn't count.)
posted by thinkingwoman at 03:54 P.M. EST on Sun Aug 07, 2005 #
> Toledo is higher in the food chain than many ...
Perhaps, but not as high as it once was. Seems like I recall their relative position as a "market" is on the downward trend.
If I'm wrong about that, I'd be happy to know it - although I do love to hate Toledo!
swd
posted by swd at 04:12 P.M. EST on Mon Aug 08, 2005 #
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