How Circulation Size Relates to the Web Management

Empirical Study of the Contents and Technologies of Newspapers’ Websites in Japan

Abstract

In the current Internet environment, newspaper companies manage their

own websites to provide not only news but various kinds of information. This

study examined the trend of Japanese newspaper websites, especially focusing

on what information they disseminate, and what technologies they use.

　　In this study, contents and technologies of one hundred and twenty-three

newspaper websites were analyzed. The sample was divided into three groups

based on circulation size. The results show that news and daily life information

make up the most part of the contents of the websites in general. And while

the websites of the large-sized papers offer as much contents as general portal

sites, those of the medium-sized papers put emphasis on local news and information.

In addition, the small sized-papers’ websites lagged behind the large

and medium in both contents and technologies in this study.