Read the Shortened Text Version of CNN.com
Last fall, CNN announced a text version of its site containing links to text-only articles so that people with unstable Internet connections (for example, people who were in the path of Hurricane Irma at the time). Lite.cnn.io is ugly but fast and functional. And it’s not the only stripped-down news site.
CNN Lite lists 69 headlines (nicely) that link to text-only versions. Unfortunately, none of these articles contain links to their full versions, even if the text contains links to illustrations or videos. The Spanish version is currently not available (13:40 update: In response to a CNN post , restored the Spanish language ). But if you’re just looking for naked news or struggling to get a signal in the country or on the subway, a text site is an alternative to the blaring, ad-filled main site full of autoplay videos.
If you prefer a more subdued tone, NPR’s hosts its own version of the text on text.npr.org , which contains the reference to the 10 major news with a lot of headers in the sections “ News”, “Art and Life” and “Music.” (As with CNN, you can’t get the full details from the text version.)
Reuters has a relatively small mobile first page with headlines and thumbnails, but each headline leads to a more cluttered article page. To keep reading the news in a minimalist style, try news aggregators: Theoldgnews.com renders Google news in an older and simpler style; Pxlet collects technical titles from multiple sources into a fallback menu; and news aggregation sites Techmeme , Mediagazer , Memeorandum , WeSmirch have minimalistic mobile versions of their already simple sites. Of course, once you land on the original site, these aggregators can’t save you. So look for your favorite ad blocker .
CNN Lite | (via Todd Waziri )