NJ.com Review

NJ.com is a website where a user can access 14 different newspapers from around the state. The participating newspapers are spread throughout the state, so a user from or interested in any specific area of the state, they can do so by accessing NJ.com and finding their local newspaper. However, there really isn’t any clear indication of how the site makes money and stays in business. I can assume that the majority of their income comes from selling advertising space on the page, but on most of the pages, there isn’t any real advertising, even where there is space specially set aside for an advertisement. I looked for their advertising rates, but the only way to find that out is to contact the site directly. Also, I think that the site may make some money through the classified advertisements that are placed in the newspapers, because the papers give the user the opportunity to place the ad on both the site and in the newspaper for a small additional fee. I would imagine that the site gets some of that fee from the newspapers. I could be wrong, but I also think that they might make some money through commissions by selling subscriptions on the site. It’s possible that the newspapers give the site a certain percentage of the subscriptions purchased through the site. There is even a chance that each newspaper is charged a fee for participating in the site. But without it being made clear, there’s no way to know for sure.

Much of the site’s content is shovelware from the participating newspapers. For example, I read today’s (Sunday) Star-Ledger, and when I accessed the site, I found all of the same stories online, just as I found them in the newspaper. There isn’t any additional information or layering used on the site, so if you have already read your local newspaper that participates with the site, there isn’t any reason for you to come to NJ.com to get your news.

However, there is some web-only content available on the site. NJ.com offers many different forums on pretty much everything you could ever think of. Each county and even town has their own forum where a resident can go to talk about the pressing issues in their town or county. For example, I live in Bridgewater, located in Somerset County (Bridgewater forum). Last week, an election was held to either approve or deny a school board referendum. It was voted down, and it is being discussed on the Bridgewater forum. Also, recently a teacher from the high school was arrested in a drug raid for possessing and trying to buy drugs. The arrest was posted on the forum soon after the news came out and people are posting their opinions as to exactly what should happen to her. These forums bring many people into the site, especially since there have been times when big issues have been posted there before they even hit the newspapers and the public is given an outlet to voice their opinions. A really interesting web-only feature is the “Police Scanner.” The scanner’s description says, “Listen to Jersey City cops fight crime, live and uncensored. Anything can happen out on the streets of the city” (Police Scanner). I think this is a really interesting idea, and would really like it expanded to other towns. However, if used improperly, I think this could be dangerous for the police officers. Someone could commit a crime, and listen to this scanner from a very common web-enabled phone to see where the police are and can have warning before they arrive at the scene of the crime.

Another web-only feature is the Star-Ledger’s “Live from the Ledger” section where the Star-Ledger posts stories and items throughout the day. However, this feature is used very poorly. There isn’t a single news story posted here. The feature seemed to be used for some feature stories, like the “Learn to Polka” story that was added at 11:50am today. I think that the feature could be a great bridge between the newspaper and the web, if used correctly. For example, if there is some major breaking news story, the newspaper could post a story that has the “nuts and bolts” of the story, with all of the information a person wants to see. Then they could write a story that includes that initial information along with any newer developments or other important information, and place it in the next day’s newspaper. This use satisfies the public’s want for information immediately, while also preserving the newspaper.

Overall, I like NJ.com. I use it with some frequency to see what is going on around my town and see what the other people in town are talking about. Also, if I don’t manage to get my hands on the Star-Ledger that day, I can go on to this site and get all of the news without having to buy the newspaper. Unfortunately, too much of the site is just shovelware, so anyone who has read their local newspaper that day has no reason besides the forums to visit the site. I think the site is a good one, but it could be made a lot better, and will need to start creating more web-only news content, or the site will steadily lose users and eventually go under itself. It is another in the list of media websites that will have to start putting more effort and energy into their websites or they’ll go out of business.

Here is a list of all of the news outlets that contribute to the site:
Star-Ledger Today’s Sunbeam
The Times Bridgeton News
The Jersey Journal The Express-Times
The Reporter Gloucester County Times
Hunterdon County Democrat Suburban News
The Warren Reporter Independent Press
Cranbury Chronicle Record-Press