Archant Websites No Longer “Bolt-Ons”

Publisher Archant has launched a series of revamped news websites as online responsibilities shift to editorial staff.

The group states that web-based operations have come under the jurisdiction of editorial departments for the first time since their introduction in 2000.

And with the new teams has come a new in-house design for sites such as Cambs 24 and Herts 24, as well as an assurance that the refreshed websites are not just servants to the print editions.

“Now, rather than just being a bolt-on to the newspaper they represent, the sites really have emerged into entities of their own,” asserts web editor Sam Newby-Ricci.

She adds: “It is an exciting time locally for our websites.

“All brands have worked hard to ensure that we are now a multimedia business, rather than just print.”

The publisher carried out a survey late last year asking users what style and services they wanted to keep and lose.

Archant says the results of this research are reflected in the new “clean and fresh design”, which it claims is more user-friendly and easier to navigate.