Enhancing Online News Delivery: The Trump-Canada Tariff Reversal

Recent US-Canada tensions regarding the steel and aluminum tariffs were widely covered in large news outlets such as ABC News (legacy) and Axios (born digital). While both provided insightful details, their digital format needed to improve to engage readers better.

ABC News: Detailed but Dense

ABC News provided a detailed, linear news report with government comments and economic analysis (Stoddart & Zahn, 2025). However, its word-dense format made it hard to read.

• Bullet points, takeaway messages, and interactive timelines would make it easier to consume the essential developments faster (Stoddart & Zahn, 2025).
• Short explanatory videos or graphics displaying tariff impacts would also make it more interactive.

Axios: Clear but Lacking Depth

In contrast, Axios used a short, visual format with bolded takeaways and short paragraphs that made it easy to read (Berkowitz, 2025).

• However, its coverage lacked the depth and scope of expert analysis provided by ABC News.
• Adding more source citations, policy expert opinions, and historical perspectives would make it more credible.
• A fact-checking element in Trump’s claims on Canadian economic contribution would also eliminate misinformation.

The Ideal Future: Balanced Digital News

Both sites need to achieve the right mix of depth, interactivity, and simplicity to offer a richer news experience on the Internet. Leveraging multimedia, structured content, and interactivity will better engage people in the evolving media landscape.