The Independent Online: a case study of Internet publishing

Abstract

The independent online is the Internet service of Independent Newspapers, South Africa's largest newspaper group. This paper is a case study of the events of the past year, including the lessons, successes and failures in establishing the independent online. The independent online contains content from daily newspapers, weekend editions and national publications brought together into a categorised newswire. Currently more than 350 stories are added each day, with 100 additional items forming the weekly archives and company information. Search engines, back issues and a variety of specialist columns have been added to the site to provide readers with a variety of areas of information. Although the site has been live for almost one year, the past few months have seen the introduction of new hardware, redeveloped software, the establishment of a permanent facility within the building and considerable effort directed towards marketing and promotion. Future plans include presentations, training sessions, interactive games, specialised news delivery, advertising opportunities, website development and activities directed towards the youth market including school involvement and youth training. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a guide to those considering establishing a web presence in order that the pitfalls and problem areas can be identified and avoided.