Looks like things are going to get interesting on the local online news front again.
The Royal Gazette is about to (finally) ditch its dog’s breakfast of a website with a total revamp – although the planned Dec. 6 launch has been put back to Dec. 13 for some “technical adjustments”. The mockups I’ve seen look clean and well-organised and at first glance a vast improvement on the existing one – but it’s hard to tell until it’s live on-screen and we see how user-friendly it is – and whether the content will reflect the philosophical shift the Gazette must make – from thinking of itself as a newspaper first to a multimedia news organisation that thinks 24-7 screen first, whether that screen is the web, tablet or smartphone.
Meanwhile, everyone’s favourite upstart, Bernews – which has been kicking the Gazette’s butt for most of the year – is planning some changes. With some financial backing, an ad sales team and a handful of part-time editorial staff now on board, the site is looking to up the ante again. They’ve recently added some nice touches like text alerts, Portuguese translation and I understand plenty more changes are in the works.
Watch that space …
Breezeblog 