If I want to find stories on a particular topic, however, I would not really need an index. I could define a search that located stories containing the words Arafat, Rabin and Jordan for any time period I selected. When the list of matches came up on my screen, I could see the headline and bank in their original font and size, the lead paragraph and the date. When I click on one that looks interesting, I get more of the story. But the invaluable service that journalistic expertise can provide is ready-made trails, via hypertext links.
Blaze trails through the forest of information.
Links could lead the reader back chronologically through all the stories a paper has run on President Clinton's health care plan, with side paths into related editorials and even letters from readers. Any news story with a long history can be vastly enhanced by means of attached maps, overviews from past editions and time lines. Features on travel in Italy could be linked to articles about Renaissance art and features on Italian cuisine in the food section. A key to making all this information easy to use is keeping the interface simple. The last thing readers want is a long index or menu at every juncture.