The Jamaica Observer Newspaper
A Brief Background

The company was officially launched on January 15, 1993 as a once-a-week publication, ignoring dire warnings that the island was a cruel cemetery for newspapers- most of which had folded within the first five years.

As a relatively new newspaper, the newspaper introduced a lot of firsts to the Caribbean. One of their proud achievements is that they were the first in the Caribbean to print in colour.

The newspaper actually hit the streets on March 7, 1993, and this year (2008) marked 15 years of publication.

Having surpassed its over century-and-a-half year-old competitor on weekdays, it has set its sights on becoming market leader on Sundays as well.

The Observer has implemented a full electronic version of the newspaper called the ePaper. The ePaper is an exact replica of the daily printed newspaper. It provides online subscribers with access anytime, anywhere to the latest news and features.

Earlier this year, the company relaunched its online presence. A much cleaner start page, a search engine optimized URL structure, and RSS feeds for all departments reset the standards for the competition.

TechJamaica.com's stated that, "A week after the launched its revamped website, the medium was still receiving rave reviews from readers and the company's online managers are reporting that daily visits to the site have increased 25 per cent.

The site sports a new design with a new colour scheme and gives readers breaking news updated throughout the day, easily one of the most popular features offered.

Visitors to the site are greeted by a home page with more content than before, providing links to stories within the major sections, all of which carry a lead story along with a picture.

In addition, the top 10 headlines for the day are listed and the site, which also offers streaming video, boasts a new advertising layout that will complement, not crowd the site."

The Jamaica Observer is just one of several successful business initiatives started by Butch Stewart, other notables include the luxurious Sandals group, the ATL group, and the partnership with the government on Air Jamaica, which ended 2004. Click here to visit the JamaicaObserver's home page.

Return to the Jamaican Newspapers from The Jamaica Observer.

Related Pages:

• Jamaica Gleaner
• Colleges in Jamaica
• Education in Jamaica
• Intriguing Facts About Jamaica
• Pictures from Jamaica
• Our Jamaican Blog
• Our Discussion Forums

References:

jamaicajazzandblues.com
techjamaica.com

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