The Verge is better for in-depth technology news and multimedia content, while The Washington Post is better for general news, investigative journalism, and international coverage.
| Attribute | The Verge | The Washington Post |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial Focus (Tech vs. General News) | Primarily technology news, but also covers science, art, and culture. It aims to explore how technology influences lifestyle and culture. | Focuses on both technology and general news. |
| Depth of Technology Coverage | Offers in-depth coverage of technology topics, including gadgets, software, and scientific advancements. Known for balancing technical details with accessible storytelling. | Better-than-average tech coverage that is less filled with hype and more likely to focus on how tech companies wield power. |
| Political Leaning/Bias | Lean Left or Left-Center. Story selection slightly favors the left, but political news is typically related to technology or science. They generally use minimally loaded words when covering politics and source credible left-leaning media. | Lean Left bias based on editorial positions. |
| Paywall Structure/Subscription Cost | Has a metered paywall. A subscription costs $7 per month or $50 annually. Subscribers get unlimited access to original reporting, reviews, and features, along with premium newsletters ("Command Line" and "Notepad"), an ad-light browsing experience, full-text RSS feeds, and early access to experimental features. Annual subscribers may receive a print magazine. | Employs a paywall with a limited number of free articles each month. Offers Core and Premium subscriptions with varying features and costs. Active K-12, primary and secondary school teachers, as well as university and postgraduate students, academics and staff, can save 90%. Testing week-long site passes that cost between $4 and $10 as of September 2024. |
| Website User Experience (UX) | Visually compelling design intended to be easy to navigate. However, some reviews note that the website has a text-heavy layout, can be visually overwhelming, and has readability issues. | Working on new ways to draw more readers to its site and encourage those who come to spend more time there. |
| Mobile App Availability and Quality | Not mentioned in the provided context. | Has a mobile app. |
| Multimedia Content (Video, Podcasts) | Offers engaging multimedia content, including videos, podcasts, and interactive features. They have a weekly podcast and have launched web series and digital aftershows. | Offers multimedia content, including videos and podcasts. |
| Investigative Journalism Reputation | Not explicitly mentioned in the provided context. | Reputation for solid investigative journalism. |
| Fact-Checking Standards | High factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record. Aligns with the consensus of science in its reporting. | Fact-checking project called 'The Fact Checker' that uses a 'Pinocchio' rating system. |
| Community Engagement (Comments, Forums) | Encourages reader interaction through comments, forums, and social media. | Piloting a program called 'From the Source' where they will ask some sources to annotate its stories. |
| International Coverage | Sharpening its international coverage, with a focus on emerging tech and European tech policy. | Has 21 foreign bureaus. |
| Awards and Recognition | Winner of multiple Webby Awards in 2012, including Best Writing (Editorial), Best Podcast for The Vergecast, Best Visual Design, Best Consumer Electronics Site, and Best Mobile News App. Also recognized with American Journalism Online Awards. | Has won the Pulitzer Prize 76 times. |
| Price | $7 per month or $50 annually | Varies |