Washingtonpost.com Opinions section vs TimesSelect

A very positive article on the redesigned Opinions section at the washingtonpost.com written by the Online Journalism Review. No reference to Times Select, the new paid-for access to the New York Times Op-ed contributors, but I read that as a sharp criticism of the Times' online strategy.

Here are some excerpts of the OJR article: "By giving more power to readers and editorial personalities, the redesigned Opinions section at the washingtonpost.com will become more functional and interactive, according to Hal Straus, Opinions Editor for Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the subsidiary of the Washington Post Co. that publishes its online content..."The Post newspaper provides an incredibly deep and smart opinion report. The Web-only content supplements that with some different voices and with work that responds to the Internet’s continuous news cycle and is more focused on Internet information sources," Straus said.

Straus said he and his colleagues hope the changes will not only promote discussion about issues and ideas but will also enliven the site and its appeal to viewers.

"There?s an enormous audience for people who want to interpret what?s going on around them and who really enjoy the give and take of debate on political and cultural issues," Straus said. "We think our new design and features make the opinions area a more useful and provocative place for the readers to visit," he added."

Source: Online Journalism Review