BREAKING NEWS & VIEWS

Financial Times 'Sifts' the News
Friday, March 27, 2009
Steve Smith

Comment Print Email Archives Del.icio.us Digg LinkedIn Click to share this post on Twitter Twitter Reprints
Is "searching" a better metaphor for online discovery than "search"? In the beta release of its new Newssift site, The Financial Times is trying to rethink the search engine for business information researchers. The site indexes millions of articles, charts and images across many news brands, but it is the interface that stands out. Users can put a simple keyword search term into the familiar query box but then filter that term by applying clickable terms like “Executive Structure” or places and people. The interface tracks the multiple filters a user applies to a search and suggests further search refinements. The results are novel, in that the drop-down menu can apply date filers onto the results. The sources of the results are rendered into an interactive pie chart in the left hand sidebar. Users can click on an element (newspaper, blog, etc.) to narrow the results by source type.

Many publishers have attempted to build vertical search engines around their b2b specialty, but few ever get the traction to attract large numbers from the generic search engines. The unit within Financial Times, FT Search, has come up with something truly innovative here, however. Users enjoy an experience and a level of control that is so clearly superior to a standard Google search that Newssift clearly stands out among vertical search projects. It is powered by Endeca search technologies; FT  is using contextual display advertising to finance the project rather than the traditional keyword model.
If you have breaking news to share please contact Steve Smith at ssmith@accessintel.com
Search Jobs
Media Jobs
min Social Networks

Join us on Linkedin
Follow us on Linkedin

White Papers
Get even smarter -- download a white paper today.

Featured White Papers:
All Content is Now Evergreen
By nstein


Making the Move: Tips on How to Create Digitally-Optimized Magazines
By Nxtbook Media Design



... more Whitepapers
min Contests

min contests




To sponsor a min contest in 2010, contact Erica Gottlieb at egottlieb@accessintel.com.

 Reserve your contest in min

min Press

State of Digital MediaThe State of Digital Media

 View Details
                           

Twitter Best Practices for Media CompaniesTwitter Best Practices for Media Companies

 View Details
                           

                                    Internet Sales            Guidebook

 View Details

All min Press

Inside min This Week
Events Calendar

February 16, 2010
min Webinar: How to Monetize Your Video Streams Now
Learn More

February 25, 2010
Managing and Monetizing the Magazine Content Eco-System
Learn More

February 28-3, 2010
4A's Transformation 2010
Learn More

All Events


min
Free Eletters — Sign up Now
HOME | PUBLICATIONS | AWARDS | EVENTS | TRAINING | E-LETTERS | BOXSCORES | MEDIA JOBS | FREELANCE JOBS | ADVERTISE | SERVICES | CONTACT US
Copyright © 2010 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Access Intelligence, LLC is prohibited. For more details please see Terms and Conditions.