ABSTRACT
Most U.S. newspapers publish an Internet version, which provides more content than the original printed edition. Although newspapers feel more comfortable distributing information over the Internet after being online for a couple of years, they are still trying to determine the best way to disseminate information in the Internet environment. Periodic changes in the Web design and the structure of the Internet newspapers reflect the publishers’ efforts in exploring a more effective way to provide news information to the Internet audience. For example, The New York Times changed the home page of its Internet version from a one-page design to multiple page design, while the Chicago Tribune changed the home page of its Internet version from multiple-page design to one-page design at the time of this study. By examining the Web design and the news information retrieval process of five major U.S. newspapers, this chapter explores how Web design of an Internet newspaper can affect information retrieval efficiency. It also attempts to shed some light on the shift of power from publishers to readers in the realm of Internet newspapers due to the new pattern of information distribution.
