For my Newstrack assignment for JO304, I’ll be looking at the website for the Cambridge Chronicle, one of the most prominent local papers for the city of Cambridge, throughout the semester. I have used the website before, as one of my other classes partnered with the Cambridge Chronicle in order to get articles published and get the experience of this process, so I thought it’d be interesting to look at this site from a reader-standpoint instead. 

The website is easy to find in a regular websearch, and both the bar at the top of the home page and the “Sections” tab make it easy to locate specific topics and article-types around the site. Additionally, the homepage is organized into sections, including areas like “Top Stories” and “Editor’s Choice” on top of various types of news articles (sports, police, entertainment, etc.), which makes a quick scan of the top headlines relatively easy.

However, on a less positive note, each section of the home page has one or two ads, on top of some ads on the side of the screen, which can be a bit distracting from the actual news, particularly with the use of some native advertising with “click-bait” titles.

One aspect of the site I really appreciate is actually at the very bottom of the home page. On the left, readers can sign up for the weekly newsletter, which is handy if they want to continue to stay connected to the news the Cambridge Chronicle provides. The part I especially think is useful is the “Community Info” and “Arts” sections to the right of the page. Both of these sections provide links to other resources of great interest to Cambridge residents and those looking to stay up to date on the city of Cambridge, such as the City of Cambridge website, the Cambridge Police Department website, and the website of other prominent community and government organizations.

While by no means a complete review, my initials observations lead me to believe that the Cambridge Chronicle has a well-organized, easy-to-navigate webpage for locals in search of news.