The Morning Call has launched a new/revised web site and declares, “The Morning Call's Web site is the most useful and popular Web site in the Lehigh Valley, and today it gets even better.”It's too early for me to decide whether I like it, but I love one of the changes. Readers who wish to comment on stories must now register. That should curb some of the hate commentary and impersonations.
Then I saw the hot topics listed at the top which noted: “Jon and Kate Update, Minnie Mouse Assaulted, Miley Cyrus and a Stripper Pole?” Hmm…
What do you think of the changes?
29 comments:
I like how the new layout looks. It's pleasing to the eye, but it's all about content and the MC seems kind of lost in the wilderness. The Lehigh Valley is more populated than ever with more things happening locally than ever. At the same time, Twitter, the Internet, and the 500 TV channels we all have make it easier and easier to get constant updates on celebrities like Mylie Cyrus as well as national news. I don't rush to the Morning Call to find out that Michael Jackson died or what Obama said last night because it's blasted at me from every communication outlet EXCEPT the MC and the Express. The niche MC could have and doesn't seem to take advantage of, is local news, local opinion, more local guest columnists (bloggers), etc... The Lehigh Valley is a weird place full of weird people. Take advantage of that! We're like a cross between Hazard County and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Look at Angle, Stoffa, McHale, the Pawlowskis, Severson, Long, Callahan...they are all characters....that's one of the things that makes your blog so popular...and those are just our politicians! How many weird people are out there who are not politicians? I went to a 4th of July ceremony this year in a historic cemetery here in the Valley where the pastor came out and read a 30 year old editorial blasting Jane Fonda for her Vietnam years and then abruptly retreated accompanied by 16 men dressed as Union soldiers playing "Dixie." This is an odd place. Let's celebrate it...and if you think local news is of little interest to people, maybe it's the way you report it. Severson was indicted last month. THe MC didn't even cover it. If they would have, it would have been who, what, where when....but did you know that he drove away with a car whose license plate says "GOP MAN" while prosecutors shook their heads and muttered or that Ron Angle deliberately sat behind him to freak him out while Severson pulled at his lawyer's sleeve protesting, "SEE? HE'S LOOKING AT ME! HE'S LOOKING AT ME!" Or that one of the witnesses walked into the courtroom, glanced at Bernie in the audience taking notes and said "OH S**T" under her breath? Written the right way, that could have been and informative and entertaining article. Maybe it's not the most professional way of doing things or not how you were taught in journalism school, but desperate times call for desperate measures. When environment changes, animals adapt and evolve to survive. Maybe newspapers need to also.
Wow! What a great comment!
The Call's new Web site is not "better" nor impressive. It also seems to take a pinch longer to load.
However, despite looks, the content is still lacking. With their employee cuts also went the important reporting that newspapers need to provide.
As for the forums, the registration is something we all advocated for, but that cannot make up for its lack of quality content.
The MC new look and format is user unfriendly and frankly sucks.
Last one out turn off the lights and lock the doors.
Thursday
So glad you asked.
Everytime some company says it is bring you a better and easier product, look out!
The Call now prohibits on its public comment link below stories the ability for readers to place more than a limited number of words, censoring commentary.
Newer and better.
Bernie, Hope to see you at Allentown's City Hall tonight. Remember meeting early, 6:30. Bring your flip camera. We'll supply the pencils.
Bernie,
Stop by the Call's front door and look inside on your way to city hall. All you will see are armed guards. Gone are the wonderful customer service and ad placement ladies. Gone is that stunningly charming receptionist that welcomed all of us no matter how awful we looked. Gone are the school children on tours. Gone are the reporters that would meet with citizens in the foyer and talk about concerns and story inaccuracies. Gone, all. Empty, Locked, Barred.
"MC seems kind of lost in the wilderness."
The Call fired so many reporters, all left is a skeleton crew.
As for the forums, the registration is something we all advocated for, but that cannot make up for its lack of quality content.
2:47 AM
Please, would you explain what you mean by "registration"?
ANON 1:21,
You are exactly right about the Lehigh Valley and your comment was "on point." There are so many quirky characters and situations that occur here on a weekly basis that years from now, people will SWEAR we were making this up !
- J. BLACK
www.umclv.piczo.com
I tried to find some basic information about staff and it is very well hidden., as was information about a local incident in my town (t was 3 days ago and it cannot be found in the archive).
My assesment:
Very pretty completely useless. Is anyone surpised!
Once readers register for commentary that can be traced, it halts all revelations of corruption.
Maybe I'll get used to it, but I'm not fond of the new format at all. Keep it simple.
I prefer the prior menus that dropped down a list of stories along with their posted dates.
If they want this first page format fine, but would like a drop down list to go along with it. They even changes, under the NEWS banner the selection for Allentown to National, state, etc. Why not a simple click on news of Allentown, Bethlehem, etc.
It seems they dropped to about 1/2 the local news stories with this change. So I think was changed to look full while actually downsizing content. Very colorful & pretty like it's print edition, but even lesser content then prior.
It's like an MTV video. A paper that cuts 50% of its reporters obviously can't cover the same depth of story topics, including govt. meetings, the most crucial of reporting, so why not gloss over everything, add bright lights and whistles and hope the readers are as stupid as you think.
My grandmother from Limerick used to say, "You can put a pig in pants and it'll still shyte."
The new format notwithstanding, the content is still shyte.
It was a Call story about candidates that included annonymous comments about these candidates inappropriate behavior that gave voters information they never would have read elsewhere. Now that venue is gone for good.
"Bernie, Hope to see you at Allentown's City Hall tonight. Remember meeting early"
I'll be there. Was told 6 PM.
"The Call fired so many reporters, all left is a skeleton crew."
It's sad.
It will take me a while to get used to the MCall's new web page. I love the look of it, personally, but I cannot tell what the content difference is yet.
I'm glad anonymous commenting is gone for good, but I will miss being able to check for replies easily to certain stories. The current commenting format seems to discourage actual "conversation" among those of us looking ot actually converse. (And there were some of us mixed in with the racist loonies, I swear!)
The first poster has it SO RIGHT about this weird little valley of ours. It would be nice if the Call simply linked us to national news sites and focused solely on local issues. I love that the playground and Saucon Valley is covered extensively today - more of that type of reporting is what I want in a local paper.
Bernie - you're right, it's at 6 PM - friends of Ed Pawlowski sent an e-mail out Wednesdasy evening saying the time had changed from 6:30 to 6 PM at city council chambers. Have fun tonight! Wish I could go...but I refuse to parade my kids into a meeting like that, and the hubby works late tonight. I'll be checking your blog first to see what really happened, so fire up the camcorder batteries and don't take so many amphetimines today - no more shaky cameras, please! ;)
Monkey Moma, I'm sorry you won't be there as I would like to meet you in person. I'd probably try to talk you into holding the camera. My hands shake all the time, and it probably IS the drugs I take. In my case, it's coffee. By this time of the week, I have an IV going. Maybe Lou Hershman will do it!
The registration requirement has nothing to do with improving comment quality or censorship. They need more specific data for advertisers both locally and Corporate-wide, and are also building a database for their own solicitation and for renting to other direct marketers. Click on "Why do we need this?" next to the email address field on the registration. You will find "We won't share your email address with third parties IF YOU ASK US NOT TO (emphasis added). Then they will as you for your birth date, claiming the need it for privacy policy compliance. This is partially true, as the answer will be used as a defense if one falsely claims the age of majority and an action if filed on behalf of the minor. The greater benefit is more demographic info for the database, an enhancement that results in a upcharge when they sell your info.
This approach was considered previously, but bogus registrations and lower traffic forced them to shelve it. Now, the pressure to monetize the web side of the biz is so great, they are going full bore.
This change, simultaneously implemented in LA (haven't checked the other papers), is all business. Any benefits to the reader will be incidental.
The MC's new registration requirement is easily overcome if you wish to post anonymously.
To the MC, I'm an 87-year old female from Bozeman, Montana. I use one of a couple of "trash dump" e-mail boxes and an easily downloadable ISP mask.
It takes thirty seconds.
If the Call can figure out your identity, they will almost certainly share it with Dear Leader Obama's Narc Program to monitor dissenting opinions on health care.
You'll likely receive a visit from ACORN or SEIU to assist your "growth" in understanding why opposition to government health care and death panels is unpatriotic.
I think this is what they meant by "change."
Anonymous said... If the Call can figure out your identity, they will almost certainly share it with Dear Leader Obama's Narc Program to monitor dissenting opinions on health care. You'll likely receive a visit from ACORN or SEIU to assist your "growth" in understanding why opposition to government health care and death panels is unpatriotic. I think this is what they meant by "change."
Is that you Glenn Beck?
Yeah, the SEIU would never storm a council meeting wearing matching shirts (brown?) and use such tactics. Oh wait ....
I notice that as the MC gets flimsier and thinner, these REALLY local papers like the Eastonian, THe Coplay something or other, the Northampton Press, the Bethlehem Press, etc...seem to be getting thicker....and they're not reporting on Mylie Cyrus or Farrah Fawcett, but local local news....maybe they're on to something.
For people who like in-depth detailed local news, this blog is much better than the MC.
When it comes to local news: If the Morning Call is Prohibition, LVRamblings is a speakeasy.
If you enjoy works of fiction, hearsay and rumors as News, this is the place to come to.
You do realize this blog is not even as accurate as Wickopedia. Ohare was the first turdblossom.
ANON 1:25,
Rock on bro
Kool-Aid and Naivety for the those who are in need to keep from meeting stark reality.
TRUST Morning Call to not share info with government - HA!
HOW MUCH MONEY DID TRIBUNE COMPANY (owners of LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Hartford Courant, Baltimore Sun, The Morning Call as well as 23 TV stations) CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT POLITICIANS THIS PAST NOVEMBER?
"Tribune Co. Bonus Plan To Be Heard In Court" - Aug 9, 2009 - www.chicagobusiness.com
Trust The Morning Call. Good Plan. Here's another good plan:
FLAG@WHITEHOUSE.GOV --- :)
Repeat after me - "THERE ARE NO DEATH PANELS"
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