An archive of around four million online stories has become available as part of a website revamp by newspaper publisher Newsquest.

The stories date back around ten years to when the company was just beginning to launch the digital arm of its print business.

Other changes to the site, which underwent a major relaunch last year, include a change of font, an improved search engine and tweeks to the layout such as a third navigation bar at the top of each page.

Nigel Vincent, head of online editorial development, told HTFP: “As part of the revamp we’ve also relaunched our archive section and uncovered around four million articles and related content.

“These include news stories, readers’ letter, sports match reports and death notices.

“We’ve improved the search engine as well as the archive and done a lot to improve searching by date and subject.

“With the navigation we have clearer demarcation between sections such as editorial and commercial, and have signposted our different digital platforms such as RSS, mobile and the newsletter.

“The sites have a refreshed look and fell, we’ve given editors a choice of two fonts and there are subtle colour changes.”

Focus groups were used as part of the revamp process and Nigel added that the company was already looking at future innovations and improvements to the websites.

Comments

Mr Mobile (11/08/2009 08:15:30)
This figure roughly tallies with the amount of staff they’ve needlessly sacked over the past couple of years!!!

Northerner (11/08/2009 09:41:46)
QUITE ironic that much of this material will have been produced by people tossed on the scrapheap by Newsquest’s bean-counters. However, Newsquest making ‘old news’ available on its websites is certainly nothing new where I live. The so-called front page of my local Newsquest title’s website regulalrly carries items that are weeks, and sometimes months old. Perhaps the person who used to update the site was a victim of their ‘restructuring.’