A study of 50 metropolitan online newspapers reveals that the majority present text in long scrolls resembling toilet paper. No subheads or bullets help the reader. And text that spans the screen makes eye movement torturous. Readers who prefer to scroll may read in linear form. Those who prefer to click and scan can see at a glance what topics the story contains.
Stories feature a lead in larger type followed by links to related sites.
Readers may scroll to continue reading the full story after the lead or access the related information first. American Journalism Review offers the simplest solution for adapting text to the Web. Eric Meyer, a University of Illinois professor who created the online site, highlights the first few words of paragraphs periodically through the text. The Star Tribune in Minneapolis regularly adds boldfaced subheads to text. It also features links to related sites on the side at the top and bottom of the story to help nonlinear readers.