Gleaner rolls out new-look website
Published:Monday | February 16, 2026 | 12:08 AM
The Gleaner has unveiled a new-look website aimed at boosting the online experience of both readers and advertisers.
With February 16, 2026 marking the 29th anniversary of the newspaper first going online, The Gleaner will today kick off a six-week campaign during which users will be familiarised with the various features of the new website.
Thelecia Patrickson, junior brand manager for the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, who will be leading the roll-out campaign, said that during the period the website will be introduced to the public through an awareness initiative.
“We will be undertaking an integrated marketing campaign consisting of various platforms. There will be interviews on Smile Jamaica on TVJ and heavy rotation promoting the website on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and other platforms,” she said.
Patrickson said videos will also be used to explain the updated website to the public and advertisers.
“We will be sharing some short videos to get comments,” she said.
The videos will also be used to highlight different sections of the new website while a newsletter will be published outlining the new features of the website.
“We will be asking people and advertisers to advise us as they visit the website [so that] with their feedback we can make adjustments,” she said.
Patrickson said user experience is the top priority to ensure that the website is serving the public’s needs.
She noted that focus was placed on improved features including ease of navigation and smoother ad placement.
Advertisers will see larger ads, providing greater visibility to their products, while not compromising on editorial content.
The website will be optimised for use on all devices.
“The Gleaner is an enduring company and it has to keep up with industry trends,” she said of the updated website.
Roland Booth, manager, analytics and digital services for RJRGLEANER, said that, over time, users of the website will appreciate the upgrades, where the changes are and find it much easier to navigate.
“Over time they will come to enjoy the new website,” he said.
Booth said the website is designed to be faster and more stable, with new features and will be easier for people to use.
“The site will grow on you the more you use it,” said Booth.
Developed over six months before its launch, Booth told The Gleaner that, since first going online in 1997, the Gleaner website, www.jamaica-gleaner.com, has gone through various phases of adjustment and this latest update is to ensure that users have a better experience using the site.
“This update is to give the site a new look, to refresh it and make for a cleaner and more modern look. It will be easier to use and more appealling,” said Booth.
He also noted that advertisers will benefit from larger, and a greater variety of, ads.
He pointed out that one noticeable change in the editorial layout is the removal of the ‘Lead Stories’ heading, a newspaper term that most newspaper website platforms no longer use.
“All the [news] stories will be folded into the category of news and will be easier to find,” he said, noting other features will also be grouped together, making them easier to find.
“We have gone for large images and we will be expanding the video presence,” he added, pointing out that since the last update to the website in 2014, video content has become a far more significant feature of the online news landscape.
Booth noted that the readers’ ability to comment on stories and engage with each other in real time will remain in place.