The SNO Report: Distinguished Sites Update

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Oh, man. SNO Distinguished Sites submissions have kicked into high gear, and you guys are really bringing it. Last week, Knight Errant, The BluePrint, The Rider, and The Patriot all earned their places on the list of 2017 SNO Distinguished Sites.

And this week, The Lance and Central Digest each earned their fifth badge, putting them neck and neck for next Distinguished Site. Who will get there first? We can’t wait to see! Maybe it will be The Outlook, OHS Magnet, or The Black and White–– they’re all sitting pretty at four badges each. So exciting!

But let’s check back in with the whole reason for the Distinguished Sites program: yes, it’s cool to earn badges and a plaque and all that, but the real rewards of participating in the program are the skills your team will develop. By earning Distinguished Sites badges, staff members master best practices of online journalism, learn versatility in content creation, and flex their style muscles, all using the tools and support provided by SNO. And these habits have a way of sticking. So not only do Distinguished Sites get a nice, shiny plaque to hang on the wall each year, they get a nice, shiny, well put together website. And that’s a way bigger deal.

Check out the badge requirements for SNO Distinguished Sites–– they make really great guidelines for best practices, even if you’re not participating in the program (but you totally should, because who doesn’t want a great website AND a plaque?!).

 

SNODrift Webinars

SNODrift webinars happen every Thursday at 2pm CST, they last around 20 minutes, and they’re super easy to join. Just visit join.me/snowebinar, and you’re in! You can also access the webinar archive, so you can watch the ones that interest you, and you can do it on your own time.

This week, we’re talking about Homepage Design Best Practices–- it’s going to be a fun one. Here’s our schedule for more upcoming topics:

  • 3/9/17 – Basic Story Templates
  • 3/16/17 – Utilizing SNO Story Elements
  • 3/23/17 – Long Form Template
  • 3/30/17 – Grid Template
  • 4/13/17 – Side by Side Template
  • 4/20/17 – Exit Path Strategy
  • 4/27/17 – Staff Page Design
  • 5/4/17 – Widget Styles