Trinbago newspapers online: Guardian launches new website (in beta)

The Trinidad Guardian is the oldest newspaper in Trinidad & Tobago, with a deep and comprehensive archive...but until recently, a sometimes frustrating website.

I won't dwell on the issues of the old website, but the new website – still in beta – is a breath of fresh air and brings the paper in line with current web design and web 2.0 trends: simpler horizontal navigation; cleaner layout; social networking share features; user accounts; and an in-site search (powered by Google, I believe) that's actually working. All in all, the design works much better and much more closely resembles what typical news junkies have come to expect from international information hubs.

The biggest item on my wishlist (though I know how challenging it is, as we at MEP labour to put all past issues of Caribbean Beat magazine online) is having more Guardian archives online and accessible by site search. Several items which also were online on the old site are not appearing (at least not that I could find) on the new site, but as it's still in beta, I imagine and hope these will be transferred in time.

At the moment, Newsday – the youngest of the Trinidad-based daily papers – leads local newspapers in terms of their content coming online quickly and being easily accessible via search. (I won't mention some of the misinformation that was published therein regarding a certain incident in Tobago with a certain high-profile American star over the last week...) Hopefully the Guardian has the resources and the commitment to keep pace. It would be a tremendous national resource if they did. And we say nothing about the Express website, which brings up the rear on most fronts.

Of course, I'll take the opportunity to remind our readers that Discover TnT will be launching a new website in beta within the next few weeks... So stay tuned. ;)

Readers, what do you think of the news and information sites out of Trinbago, and the Guardian website in particular (see screenshot below)?