Welcome to the new ABC NEWS website. We’re glad you’re here and we’d like to tell you a little about the story behind the new homepage and the new features you’ll see there.
In June, more than 12.6 million people visited the ABC NEWS website and app – that’s almost 60 percent of the Australian population over the age of 14.
Each of those 12.6 million people expects something different from us. They want to read the latest updates on the biggest news of the day, understand the context behind the headlines, be inspired by the extraordinary achievements of their fellow Australians and connect with their local community.
After months of consultation with readers and thousands of individual feedback messages, we have redesigned the ABC NEWS website to help our audience find the most relevant news and information every day.
The updated homepage contains new sections:
- With the Top Stories you can find out the most important news of the day at a glance.
- Local News To You has the latest news from your area;
- With Everyone’s Talking About you can stay up to date with current news topics.
And for the first time, ABC NEWS offers personalized news feeds in a “For You” section that delivers stories to you based on your interests. This feature will roll out to the entire audience in the coming weeks.
“For You” offers a new way to discover the best of ABC NEWS, tailored to your interests.
The ABC NEWS app will also receive these new features. Some readers can enjoy the new experience today. All ABC News app users will see the new features in the coming months.
The new design is a big step forward in the way we present news, but what hasn’t changed is the quality journalism you expect from ABC NEWS. Our homepage remains the place Australians trust for quality news, accurate information, insightful analysis and in-depth research.
It’s been nearly a decade since the ABC NEWS site was redesigned. So much has changed in that time as digital storytelling has evolved significantly. We now have more tools to help you understand what’s happening in the world.
Our audience has changed during this time too. We have grown into one of the largest digital news providers in the country. During the height of COVID, we set a record for the largest audience ever reached by an Australian news website. And in June – according to the most recent figures available from market analytics provider Ipsos – we were the leading digital news provider in Australia.
As this has happened, the expectations of our audience have evolved too. People visit ABC NEWS at all times of the day and night, from all over the world and on different devices. They all have different needs and interests and expect to find the news that is relevant to them.
Grant Sherlock, Editor-in-Chief of ABC NEWS, and Nathan Elvery, Product Manager at News Group.
Our diverse audience was at the heart of the redesign from the start. For those who already visit us regularly, we’ve kept the sections and content you’ve come to rely on. Just In, for example, has a new look, but all the key elements that make it so popular remain. And our determination to deliver the highest quality, independent news in Australia remains as strong as ever.
For those new to ABC NEWS or who don’t read the news regularly, we’ve created ways to navigate the news to help you better understand the story. For example, “Everyone’s Talking About…” summarizes important news stories of the week that you may have missed.
We also want to help everyone who visits our homepage to discover something new – something they would not have expected today, but that they are happy about.
During the research phase of this project, we spoke to everyday Australians – some who regularly watch ABC to get their fix of news, and others who try to avoid the news altogether.
Participants in our study told us that they wanted the following:
- Opportunities to skim the news and quickly feel up to date;
- More short, concise vertical video storytelling;
- A more interesting visual experience with color and visual storytelling tools;
- A broader range of news topics and content that provides an uplifting counterbalance to the world’s gloom.
Everyone’s Talking About keeps you up to date with the big stories Australia is reading.
We listened and incorporated these insights into our design.
What you see today is a new beginning for ABC NEWS, driven by increased investment in digital coverage that matters to Australians. This year alone, we have:
- Launch of a new political live blog for detailed reporting on all major political moments
- Introducing the Lifestyle and Entertainment verticals to showcase the increasing amount of high quality lifestyle and entertainment stories produced by teams across the ABC network.
- We have expanded our digital sports team and improved our digital sports results service
In the coming weeks and months we will be adding further improvements and new features to the new website.
Here are some useful FAQs and a link to a survey where you can share your feedback with us. We love hearing your views and evolving the ABC NEWS experience so you can continue to discover the stories that matter to you.
