The First Post

The First Post styles itself as a ‘free and independent daily online news magazine.' With contributions from luminaries of the British media such as Rosie Boycott, Theodore Dalrymple and Mark Lawson, it can also lay claim to being amongst the most intelligent and considered of media websites. The First Post began life in 2005 and is updated several times a day. It is easy to navigate and has an impressive archive. It also has the ‘feel' of a newspaper without losing the visual and verbal pithiness necessary to make a website of this nature work.

The First Post covers everything from sport to politics to entertainment. There are book and film reviews, health and motoring features, comic strips and competitions. The digest of sports coverage, news and opinion from the broadsheets is particularly helpful, as is the one page summary of top stories from the Sunday papers.

There are one or two shortcomings: the search engine does not always lead you to the article you are looking for and the Video channel - featuring film trailers, short films and virals - can be slow to download its material. However, on the whole, this website is a refreshing riposte to the tired lament of naysayers who dismiss the internet as having fostered a cult of the amateur. The First Post is a confident online voice and a welcome competitor to the likes of bbc.co.uk and guardian.co.uk.