New Chronicle website goes live this - 21-08-07
THE Meath Chronicle has this week launched its new-look website as it moves to exploit the opportunities offered by the internet to connect with Meath people living throughout the world.
Although it has previously had a web presence managed by an external third party provider, this week sees the first step taken by the Chronicle to launch its own self-managed internet site.
Having gone live just last Friday, feedback from readers already confirms the Chronicle's belief that the new site - www.meathchronicle.ie - is a huge improvement in both functionality and readability.
The website has been developed through a partnership with Handyweb, a website development company from Mullingar, which is also engaged in developing websites for all titles in the Celtic Media Group, to which the Meath Chronicle belongs.
The new website features all the main news and sports stories from around County Meath in addition to popular sections such as obituaries and family announcements, entertainment and a photo gallery.
Additional features include a downloadable pdf file of the front page of the newspaper every week, a breaking news section that will be updated daily to ensure the website delivers up-to-the-minute information, a discussion forum to allow people comment on articles, as well as contact and advertising information.
During the coming weeks, it is hoped to launch additional services, such as a local notes section, online classified advertising, directory services and photo sales.
David Sheehan, operations director, Meath Chronicle, said: "The launch of our own website is a fantastic development for the Meath Chronicle's digital business. There is no doubt in our minds that evolving reader habits will make this site a growing part of our business in the future.
"Whilst the printed Meath Chronicle is the premier information source for people in County Meath on all aspects of daily life from local news to sport and entertainment, the website will allow us provide a new channel of information."
The 'breaking news' section, for instance, will allow Chronicle reporters provide daily updates on the latest local stories while the weekly printed version will develop these stories to the full.
With reader habits in today's society evolving and changing, the web offering will be as important to the readers of the future as the printed offering is today.
Added Mr Sheehan: "The Meath Chronicle has deliberately stalled the development of its own site to find a formula that will work for readers. The current offering is just the first step along that process. In the first launch of the site, we include functionality that includes the usual news and sport stories with an archive search function, discussion groups and advertising information.
"The future of the site will include far greater interactivity with readers. Discussion groups, a local notes section and the capacity to submit stories will form part of the exchange, while advertisers will be offered alternative means to submit advertisements."
This website has been created for the benefit of readers in Meath and any feedback or comments can be e-mailed to website@meathchronicle.ie