NewsTrack Blog: Interactivity

After searching for quite a bit of time, I was unable to find anything from the sports section of the Boston Globe that included an interactive feature. No maps (not even of the Sox parade this week), no polls, no quizzes. While I don't necessarily think the lack of interactivity is a glaring weakness of the Globe, I do think the addition of certain features could help improve the Globe's appeal. For instance, if a particular article or column addresses a debate in sports, why not have a poll at the bottom for readers to weigh in? Or if there's coverage of a parade, why not have an interactive map of the route instead of just listing the streets included?

So while I don't find the lack of interactivity to be a fatal flaw for the Globe sports department, I do think that an effort to include more interactive features would certainly improve the Globe's brand, SEO, appeal, and reach. Not everyone loves to spend ten minutes straight reading articles--many need something tangible to do to stay interested. This is where interactivity would come in, especially in today's technology and social media-dominated world.

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