Bailey MeCey

Writing online can be quite difficult, especially as outlets shift in the digital era.  The writing must compete against a multitude of attention-grabbing games and apps on your device.  Inescapable ads can distract readers from delving deep into an article.  Below is one example of writing that works well online, and one that does not.  

The Good: Buzzfeed News

It might seem surprising to view something related to Buzzfeed as an example of good reading.  However, Buzzfeed News does a fantastic job of writing stories in an easy-to-read way.  Buzzfeed is a confetti cloud of listicles and GIFs, but Buzzfeed News has a crisp and clear style.  The writing is strong and informative.  

While there are some ads on the main page, they are small and not interfering with the content.  The article The Coronavirus Is Pushing Women Out Of Work And Away From Trump is well written, and the top bar for the page disappears so you can focus on the words.  Buzzfeed News gets a lot of flack for its juvenile sibling, but it has grown into a true journalistic outlet to stand with mainstream counterparts.  

The Bad: Deadspin

Sports writing can lack punch, but the pearl in the sand was Deadspin.  The biting takes on sports, culture and politics were always a joy to read even when I wasn’t interested in the topic itself.  However, a change in upper management forced the writers to “stick to sports”.  A mass exodus of talent ensued, leaving the site a shell of its former self.  

The writing is not as sharp as before, and the elongated headlines are a headache to read.  For example, the article Shocking But True: Aubrey Huff Is Still The Worst lacks any wit from the old Deadspin.  The article is almost impossible to read due to massive advertisements and interfering content.  I detest using adblockers as I feel we should support online media, but with Deadspin it is almost necessary to read efficiently.  Deadspin, in both the content and form, has been severely hampered by managerial overreach.

How Can We Improve Online Reading?

While Buzzfeed News provides a better reading experience compared to Deadspin, there is a lot of difficulty with reading online.  In the article Being A Better Online Reader for the New Yorker, Maria Konnikova discusses how we have changed since shifting from physical to digital reading. 

Reading from a screen makes it easy to scroll through the words without taking them in, and the allure to check texts or email make it hard to focus.  Online advertisements are itself a major distraction, stealing your focus from the words to sell you fashionable face masks.  Navigating the muddled sea of online reading has been a tumultuous one, but with effort we can work to promote quality reading experiences and limit distractions.