Media, although started in print format, have, and has been trying to expand their reach through various means using the technology of the time. In the beginning, when there was only paper, each of them tried to make a difference by using different quality papers and attractive fonts.
Later, with the onset of technology, Radio and Television became the new buzz and almost every print media started a channel of their own.
The impact made by the advent of the internet was the greatest of them all, and it changed the whole scenario by introducing websites, multimedia, and enhanced customer interaction. Here is a list of such 15 media websites that leveraged these technologies and have found a place among the best of their kind with their constant efforts.
1. Yahoo! News
Owned by Yahoo Inc., Yahoo! News was launched 27 years ago in August 1996. Initially, they sourced the news and articles from agencies like Reuters, BBC News, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, and Fox News. later, in 2011, they hired experienced journalists to produce original content.
The website has been ranking first for quite a few years in a row in this category. One of the reasons behind the popularity of this website is that Yahoo prompts Yahoo email users to visit the website, and since a big majority have Yahoo email, it automatically increases the number of visitors.
The website also had a comment section for articles published that added to the popularity, but later removed the feature due to excessive trolling.
2. ESPN.com
The Walt Disney Company has a major share in the American sports network Entertainment and Sports Programming Network also known as ESPN.
The minor share of 20% lies with Hearst Communications, an international multi-media conglomerate. The company is based in Bristol, Connecticut, and was founded in the year 1971.
ESPN’s target audience comes within an age group of young adults to middle-aged individuals who, according to several surveys, will most probably invest their time in watching sports and sports news.
The website caters to their interests with investigative and original news while competing with other medial websites like Google News and Fox News.
3. NBC.com
National Broadcasting Company, also known as Peacock Network with its ‘Bird’ logo, was founded on 21 February 1940 and is headquartered at 30 Rockafeller Plaza, New York City.
The company has expanded its reach through multiple channels over the years and owns a website that has live streaming of the programs aired at the original station, including sports broadcasts, news, and entertainment.
They also have an app and a streaming service called ‘Peacock’ that mostly features series and shows like Saturday Night Live (SNL) broadcasted on NBC channel. Along with these, the streaming platform also has a few original shows not aired on NBC.
4. CBS.com
Being the news division of the Columbia Broadcasting System CBS.com is operated by National Amusements and owned by Paramount Global, one of the most renowned American multi-media and entertainment companies.
The website has been recognized as a reliable source of news by a majority of Americans, where most of its viewers belong to an older age group of 30 to 49 years.
CBS is based in Manhattan, New York, and was started in 1927. CBS currently has some of the best-rated shows and news programs like CBS Evening News that gained popularity through offering news and information from multiple points of view.
5. CNN.com
Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld founded CNN in 1980 as a multinational news network with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Presently, Cable News Network broadcasts in Canada, India, Japan, and the Caribbean Islands, apart from the United States.
The worldwide broadcasting is done through CNN International, the sister channel that broadcasts from studios both in and out of the States.
As a news channel network, CNN focuses mainly on politics, both national and international. The CNN website was launched on 30 August 1995.
Later, they updated the former version to launch a new one on 24 October 2009 and added a new ‘sign-up’ option with which the users can create a profile of their own. CNN still stands as one of the most popular and credible media websites not only in America but worldwide.
6. Buzzfeed.com
Buzzfeed targets young adults between the age group of 18 to 34 with its digital media-focused content. Buzzfeed was launched in 2006 and was initially popular for its online quiz programs, pop culture articles, and listicles.
Buzzfeed’s content includes news, videos that are streamed on its YouTube channel which has over 20 million subscribers, and podcasts on its previously existing in-house podcasting platform started in 2015. Internet Explorer, Another Round, and Thirst Aid Kit were some of the channel’s popular podcasts.
Buzzfeed also makes its presence known on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. It has programs like Buzzfeed Unresolved, Worth It, and Night In/Night Out, especially curated for these platforms where they generate a big chunk of their revenue.
7. washingtonpost.com
The digital version of ‘The Post’, washingtonpost.com is a media website that has news and articles published originally in the newspaper along with a few additional information.
The website offers access to a limited number of articles a month to users whereas full access will be provided with a paid subscription. The newspaper as well as the website is more popular in the Washington metropolitan area and the readers mostly belong to an age group of 55 to 64 years old.
The newspaper was founded in 1877 and focuses on national politics mostly. This is one of the major reasons behind its popularity as it publishes news and articles on affairs of Congress, the White House, and the Federal Government.
The company is owned by Jeff Bezos, who provides six months of free access to the media website for those with an Amazon Prime membership.
8. nytimes.com
Being the newspaper with the most number of Pulitzer prize winnings in history, The New York Times stands at one of the top positions in the list of most popular media, both digital and physical.
The newspaper has won 132 Pulitzer Awards, starting in 1918. Instead of targeting a mass audience, the newspaper focuses on an intellectual and educated group of people. This is one of the reasons behind its wide acceptance as well.
The website was created in 2006 and has undergone several changes since. The website gives more emphasis on multimedia, trying to reach a broader audience.
Apart from a website that can be accessed with a subscription, the company has a mobile app and popular podcasts like The Daily where it connects with audiences from every category and age group.
9. FoxNews.com
Both Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network 24/7 are available on your electronic devices whether it’s your laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, live streaming online.
The good news is you don’t have to take a separate subscription for any of these, but all are included in your TV subscription. The free access has made a huge impact on the number of viewers of the channel, making it one of the most popular services in the present.
Compared to the majority in the last, Fox News is fairly recent. The website and the channel were launched on 7 October 1996 and it has been growing in viewership ever since.
10. Reuters
Reuters TV or reuters.com is the online streaming service of the news agency Thomson Reuters. Reuters is considered the world’s best news agency with newspapers and news media from almost every continent trusting the agency to provide them with accurate information, and at the earliest.
This reliance is what adds to the popularity of their website where they stream the news and information they collect to a wider audience.
They not only provide accurate news but are usually the first ones to do that. Reuters has journalists in different parts of the world, collecting and writing news in 16 languages. The website of the agency was established by Thomson Reuters on 4 February 2015 as part of its efforts to reach a mass audience.
11. The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post won the renowned Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and has been the first among digital media to win one. The website, also known as Huff Post was launched at 770 Broadway, New York City.
The ownership of the company has been changed thrice, with AOL acquiring the company in 2011, followed by an exchange of ownership to Verizon in 2015, and the final acquisition by Buzzfeed in 2020.
The website has both international and localized editions. It is progressive in terms of content and even offers a platform for user-generated content.
The website emphasizes multimedia and the categories of content it publishes include blogs, news, and satire on business, politics, entertainment, culture, lifestyle, and so on. The website also has original content drafted by its writers, features local columnists, and has a space for women-oriented content.
12. NPR News
National Public Radio, abbreviated to NPR, is a media organization based in Washington D.C. It is a non-profit organization with broadcasting in Puerto Rico and Guam, apart from the United States.
Ever since its inception in the year 1971, NPR has been collecting and disseminating news and information to the public at no cost, finding its place in the list of the best media networks in the United States.
Created with a mission of creating an informed population, the network connects with them via various means of communication, on-air, online, and at times, in person.
NPR produces a wide range of programs belonging to different categories including culture, public affairs, music and art, and such. The company has an app named NPR One, aiming to give access to NPR podcasts and live news streamed on local NOR stations, to the public.
13. Forbes.com
Forbes has a long-standing history of topping the chart of most popular and best media even from its beginning in 1917. Currently, the publication is owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.
With the slogan ‘Home Page for the World’s Business Leaders’, Forbes.com is currently the most visited business website with a current number of visits of over 183 million. The website was founded in 1996 by David Churbuck and published content belonging to various genres.
Although it requires a subscription to get complete access to all the Forbes articles, the public has access to four articles a month for free.
14. Bloomberg
Bloomberg Media covers news in eight languages – English, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Russian. It is one of the world’s largest media organizations with 30 minutes of free streaming a day without a subscription.
The network doesn’t restrict itself to business news but everything else including politics, technology, and luxury.
The news agency was established in 1990 by Michael Bloomberg and Mathew Winkler in New York City. the company’s mission was to deliver financial news to the Bloomberg Terminal subscribers. Bloomberg integrates data intelligence into their system, taking their services a step further from the rest.
15. CNET.com
CNET is presently the daughter company of Red Ventures since they acquired it in 2020. Formerly the company was owned by CBS Interactive from 2008 to 2020, for a period of 12 years.
The network was created in 1992 by Halsey Minor to create content for radio and television. They currently publish news, blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos focusing on consumer electronics and technology.
The Computer Network has faced several challenges in its 32 years of existence including malware threats and downgrading due to the allegations of using AI-generated content. They have survived all such obstacles and have made it to the top fifteen charts with their consistency in reporting and the ability to reach their target audience.
As per the metrics considered to rank these websites, Yahoo! News tops the chart with an average of 180 million unique monthly visitors. The website is far ahead of ESPN.com, the network that ranked second with a monthly average of 121 million visitors. CNET.com, the media website that came in fifteenth place, has an average of 60 million visitors a month.
Although the difference between the numbers might seem big, it is comparatively smaller compared to the less popular ones that didn’t make this list, not even once.
The incorporation of print media, television, and the internet has brought mass media to a whole new level. Almost all the media websites mentioned in the list have all three or more except for a few.
The ones that do not have all three, like Buzzfeed, are comparatively new and thus have no print version. This might be a glimpse of what the future might look like when the technology takes over completely. Either way, these media websites are the best there is now and are gaining more and more popularity, every day.
