Our New Site Just Launched

We just launched a new version of the NewsTrust website to make it easier for you to find good journalism online.

We created this new site to provide a better user experience for new visitors and experienced members alike, through features like a new toolbar and simpler review form, more visual appeal and and a streamlined site layout.

What's New
Here are some of the new features in this 4.0 release:

New Look

• new site layout shows more variety, less clutter, colorful graphics, wider pages and larger text
• simpler navigation bar features subjects we cover most often, with a search tool to find more
• streamlined home page is more visual, with different sections for a wider range of stories  
• news comparisons show how different news sources are covering our featured topic
• top stories grid shows recent news and opinion, updated 24/7, as well as editor picks
• new story listings are organized by subject, with sections for opinion and today's feeds
• new site footer at the bottom of every page helps you find pages you need more quickly

New Tools

• new toolbar lets you review stories more quickly (replacing our old popup windows)
• short review form makes it easier for new members to review (only 3 questions)
• guest reviews let visitors rate stories without signing up first (like a free trial)
• 'post a story' tool lets you submit new stories faster (and auto-fills story info)
• smart feeds show recommendations from trusted sources and insightful thinkers online
• quick guide provides helpful tips on how to review a story and build news literacy skills
• activity streams list all your recent reviews and posts on your member profile
• edit tools let trusted members (with a level of 3 or more) edit story and source info

... and much, much more

Go check out all these new features on our new site and let us know what you think. Be sure to click on a story title and try our new toolbar and short review form, as well as post a story, to see all the bells and whistles. (UPDATE: see our visual guide on how to use the new toolbar)

We're particularly excited about our new 'Smart Feeds' service, which surfaces news stories recommended by some of the most insightful thinkers online - as well as our most trusted sources and social news sites (see earlier blog post). Together, these 'smart feeds' harness the collective intelligence of thousands of professionals and citizens -- who extend the NewsTrust community to create a filtered list of quality news and opinion, round the clock. Check out today's feeds on our new site.

We hope that these new services and enhanced user experience will help you get more informed, and attract more people to join our cause in coming months.

NewsTrust's new home page, with news comparisons and top stories grid.

Thanks to our Team
Many thanks to our worldclass web development team: Adam Florin, David Fox, Subramanya Sastry and Caleb Waldorf created a much improved user interface and web platform in just a few months. Many thanks as well to Market Publique designers Jonathan Berger and Polly Barden for their invaluable contributions to the new look of the site.

This core team was supported by our dedicated staff members, who worked beyond the call of duty to make this launch possible: Kaizar Campwala, Derek Hawkins and Joey Baker -- as well asEzra Fox and Bryan Purse. They've all done wonders to improve the quality of our service -- and we're very lucky to have them on our team. Thank you for your insights, your leadership and your commitment to our cause!

Thanks to our Community
Our new site was designed with the help of our community, through a variety of surveys, emails and phone conferences this year. We're very grateful to all our members, advisors, partners and friends who took the time to propose new ideas, check our early designs, test our site and share their invaluable feedback.

We've already received great responses about this new release. Here are just a few examples of what folks are telling us:

I love the look of the site--instantly! Very good, strong first impression. Colors well chosen ... This new website seems to me to be a great leap forward. - Robert W. Fuller

I like every aspect of what I have found. The reviewing system is much less cluttered and probably will be better served with the present simplicity. - Jerry Firman

The site is much improved and getting to be downright fun to use. The vast range of sources really makes NewsTrust a must-check place for researching news stories. - Evelyn Messinger

I LOVE! The review toolbar/overlay!!! Great job, very well designed. - Joe Kraynik

Wow -- the new site looks great. It has taken leaps forward in overall design and content. It is definitely more user-friendly in a visual and organizational sense. Bravo! - Kristin Gorski

I love the new look!  Good use of enhanced width. So much easier to read. I appreciate your simplifying the upper nav bar. - Roger Macdonald

We're very grateful for all this wonderful feedback from our community, and are glad we were able to address so many of your recommendations this week. What didn't make it in this release will definitely be considered for the next release.

Please share your comments and suggestions at the bottom of this page - or email us. What do you like most? what do you like least? how can we improve this new site? We love bugs! If you find any technical issues, please report them here.

Thanks again to all our supporters for your generous contributions to our cause. Together, we've created a compelling example of how citizens and journalists can join forces online to filter quality information through social news networks.

We hope our new site will make it easier for all of us to find and share good journalism together -- and make more informed decisions as citizens.

Enjoy!

Fabrice Florin
Executive Director, NewsTrust

Comments

[Patricia Blochowiak]

I'm confused. I just clicked on a story I recently reviewed, didn't find my review, clicked on my name, and found the record of my review of the story, along with my ratings of several reviews of the story. Anyway, it's not a matter of the story needing to be merged, but my review has been lost.
Sounds like a glitsch that needs to be fixed.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=52256853029&topic=10642