Mags 2.0 Assignment #1
Comments(2) Here is my magazine website anaylsis assignment for my Mags 2.0 class for the Book and Magazine Publishing Program at Centennial College.
All three magazine selected, The Walrus, Entertainment Weekly and Teen Vogue have an established online presence of varying success. Here they are, presented from best to worst.
The Walrus
The Walrus is one of the best 2.0 magazines out there. They have lots of unique online content that is interactive, including eight different blogs from various contributors, regular podcasts which can be subscribed to via iTunes, a Discussion section featuring articles of particularly interesting or hot topics, and interactive and online galleries.
Their RSS options are showcased on their header, multiple times on their sidebar and in their footer. They have several different subscription options including their Features, Blogs, Field Notes, Discussions, Podcasts, and News and Events.
All these features are clearly showcased on the frontpage of The Walrus’s website, using a clear color-coded system. The ability to subsribe to any of these features is evident using the RSS icon button beside each headline.
You have several options through which you can subcribe to their feed using both online RSS feeds as well as desktop software through a variety of programs. For their content that is free to readers, several social bookmarking sites are available at the top of each article including RSS. They are clear and use the bookmark tools’ original icons, yet integrate seamlessly into the design of the website. New readers can immediately recognize the site’s interactive potential no matter where they enter the site from and then are immediately provided with several different options through which they can interact and bookmark the site.
The Walrus provides its readers with a variety of 2.0 content. There is essentially something for everyone. The 2.0 element is very clear with the Walrus from the get-go and it has more online and interatvie content than most 2.0 and online magazines. However, it is frustrating when you are navigating their website and hit a “sorry this is for subscribers only” page. Advertisers and editors should be able to easily recognize The Walrus’s interactive new media approach and be able to easily capitalize on this opportunity for developing new and innovative content and reaching consumers.
Analysis of Entertainment Weekly and Teen Vogue below the jump!
