Here’s a quick tip for the Boston Globe: Learn a thing or two from the BBC and provide more context for your online stories.

This is how the Globe currently uses its right webpage columns (from: “Nonprofit takes over local cable station”):

1. “ADVERTISEMENT” = I understand you have to pay the bills, but 1/4 webpage ads are annoying.
2. “LATEST LOCAL NEWS” = Totally unrelated to the story.
3. “BOSTON.COM’S MOST E-MAILED” = Also, totally unrelated to the story.
4. “SEARCH THE ARCHIVES” = VERY HELPFUL, but what if I don’t want to search for stories related to what I’m currently reading? What if I want them included on the page?

Here’s how the BBC uses its right webpage columns (from: “Bush hits out at ‘brutal’ Burma“):

1. “KEY STORIES” = Provide important background on the story.
2. “FEATURES” = Also provide context to the story.
3. “BACKGROUND” = Provides even more insight related to the story.
4. “WATCH/LISTEN” = 3 online videos related to the story viewable in a pop-up video player that provides multimedia context.
5. “HAVE YOUR SAY” = Reader feedback adds more opinions.
6. “FROM OTHER NEWS SITES” = The titles says it all.
7. “RELATED INTERNET LINKS” = Other important off-site related news with a notice that says “The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites”
8. “TOP ASIA-PACIFIC STORIES” = Even more up to the minute regional news to provide context for the story.

I don’t mean to pick on the Boston Globe. I am a daily subscriber. But it’s interesting to see how different news organizations present their news online. The Globe is a great example of a website that could do a much better job providing context - and reader participation - in bringing us the news.

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