Use the News Content Type for Story-Driven Content

The News content type in HarvardSites is built for more than time-stamped updates. You can use it to publish stories that highlight projects, people, or milestones. When combined with the right layout components, News entries can form the foundation of a rich, thematic page or report.

Why it matters

  • Flexibility: One content type can support both timely updates and longer narratives.
  • Consistency: Using News entries ensures a standard structure and styling across your site.
  • Discoverability: News content appears in News Lists, archives, and filtered views, making it easy to feature and cross-link.
News content type

How to do it

  • Choose News when writing narrative content.

    Use News entries for profiles, initiative updates, or annual reflections.

    Avoid defaulting to Basic Page when the content is story-based.

  • Remove the publish date when appropriate.

    If the story is evergreen, you can hide the date from display in the component settings.

    This keeps the content relevant without looking outdated.

  • Add a strong title and excerpt.

    Keep titles concise and descriptive.

    Use the excerpt field to summarize the story and encourage clicks when it's featured in a list or card.

Accessibility tip

  • Write headlines and excerpts in plain language.
  • Don’t use formatting to style the title inside the body, use the proper title and summary fields instead.
  • Add alt text and descriptive captions to any images within the News body content.