15 Kickass Journalist Websites: Make the Best Website!

Donald Bostrom's freelance writer website is slick, clean, and minimalist, and it's like stepping into another world.

A world of facts, adventure, and human storytelling like no other!

I highlight this journalist's website because it's just so spot on.

It really focuses on Donald's work and everything that he's been up and covered, rather than the main focus on him himself. This is essential in investigative journalism because, despite what your ego tells you, your work isn't about you; it's about uncovering the facts and telling the world the story.

Broadcasting your message in a way that only you can.

That's precisely what this feature-rich website does. Everything is memorable, stands out, and is really on-brand with Donald's personality.

What else could you need from your entire website?

💡 Takeaway: Keep things clean and minimalist, as these designs work best, but don't forget to add some personal flair to make it truly yours.

✅ Pros

• Clean design
• Straightforward navigation
• Focus on your best work, and not you as a person so much

❌ Cons

• Could have more integration and direction with social media links
• Could use more direct links to portfolio work and highlights

Big. Bright. Punchy.

Brittany's writer website is professional and well-organized, with a sleek design and great use of whitespace, or in this case, pink space. I really love how direct and straight to the point the copywriting is, and there's a clear highlight of what Brittany is working on now and what publication she's a part of.

However, while the copywriting is really good (as you would expect a journalist's website to have), and there's a decent focus on storytelling and multimedia projects, the visuals are lacking.

In other words, it's very text-heavy and, honestly, a bit boring in places because of it.

💡 Takeaway: Whitespace is your friend, but don't forget to balance text and visuals. Use your background as a simple and clear canvas in which to emphasize the content you do choose to show off to the world.

✅ Pros

• Sleek design
• Great use of whitespace (pink space?)
• A decent focus on storytelling and multimedia projects

❌ Cons

• Some sections feel text-heavy
• Portfolio page could use a better layout

Kim Quitzon's freelance writer website is a creative explosion with a unique layout that sets it apart. The site's visual appeal is off the charts, thanks to the subtly animated header image, backed up by crisp, clean copywriting.

All in all, the site does a great job of showcasing her diverse skills and showing off to the world what she has to offer in a really simple way. There's no fluff - just hard facts and a great approach to Kim's world and perspective.

That said, this writer website feels a bit lacking in places, and more up-to-date content could freshen up the place.

💡 Takeaway: Dare to be different, but ensure your online journalism website remains user-friendly. There's no need to reinvent the wheel or do anything crazy, but put your own spin on how you want the world to perceive what you do.

✅ Pros

• Unique layout with some cool animations
• A really simple structure that's easy to navigate
• Showcases her diverse skills

❌ Cons

• The content is very lacking in places, especially with a blog that has had no new posts in two years
• A balance between creativity and usability needed

Bastian's writer website oozes professionalism with its well-structured layout and polished design. The site showcases his work as a foreign correspondent through an impressive writing portfolio, and the hero image is a great way to show visitors precisely who they're dealing with.

At first, I didn't like the cover image, but the fact it has a rolling selection of shots from Bastian on set and airing live as a reporter certainly adds credibility and trust, basically saying that Bastian is the real deal, and you're in the right place when looking at a professional journalist.

💡 Takeaway: Let your work shine, but don't forget to give your site some personality. True, the focus should always be on your work, but that doesn't mean you can't put your spin on what you offer. People want to know you and trust you as an independent journalist, so you need to give them something to connect with.

✅ Pros

• Professional design that's simple and fluff-less
• Well-structured single-page layout with tidy navigation
• An impressive writing portfolio showcased through text and visuals

❌ Cons

• Could do with some more depth in terms of content

Noran's website is visually engaging, with a beautiful hero image and great use of color.

Right from the moment you load up, the homepage is full of examples of achievement and what Noran has accomplished throughout her career, both academically and professionally, instantly raising the levels of trust and credibility she has with any visitors.

There are dedicated pages for each branch of Noran's work that are easy to navigate, and yeah, Nora's website pretty much nails it. It's simple and doesn't need to be more or less than it is.

💡 Takeaway: Visual engagement is key, but don't forget to optimize load times and maintain design consistency. Nobody will hang around for a slow-loading website, so keep everything as optimized as possible!

✅ Pros

• Visually engaging
• Showcases diverse writing samples, both academically and professionally
• Great use of color, clear font, and formatting

❌ Cons

• I like the interesting take on the email formatting, but it would be better if people could just click and contact her
• Could improve load times

Rossilynne's website has a vibrant and lively design that instantly catches your eye. Sure, the color choices are very neutral, and while I'd usually downvote a website for being boring, it actually works when it comes to online journalism websites because you want them to be neutral and factual.

Therefore, blacks, grays, and whites are ideal color choices for a website, laying down the canvas for the rest of your work and portfolio to stand on.

The personal image is a really nice touch here, and the breakdown of Rossilynne's skill set with custom icons and pages is a spot-on approach when you have this much to offer.

💡 Takeaway: It certainly pays to return to your website every now and then to tidy things up. There's a lot of empty space that doesn't provide any value and some poor spacing. It's subtle (probably more noticeable because I design websites), but it's enough to create subtle notes of unprofessionalism.

✅ Pros

• Neutral, non-flashy design
• Highlights accomplishments
• Showcases published works on dedicated pages

❌ Cons

• Could do with a better Contact CTA button
• Would be nice if there was more content on the home page to get visitors more excited

Bianca's online space hits the spot in so many ways, but I can't help but feel it could be a little better. Let's break it down.

Everything is here. Personal photos. Great copywriting. Some excellent examples of places she's worked, backed by logos and links to her achievements. There are even highlights of her contributions to leading publications like Forbes!

The only downside is the quality. The picture quality is pretty poor in places, and the formatting is meh at best.

If everything was tidied up and the quality brought up to the modern-day standard, this website could be as close to perfect as you could get!

💡 Takeaway: Quality is everything. Even if you have ticked all the boxes for what makes a good website, you can be seriously let down by some blurry pictures!

✅ Pros

• Sleek, modern design
• Visually engaging layout with a focus on achievements and accomplishments
• Impressive typography

❌ Cons

• Needs better mobile optimization
• Could improve content quality and organization

Jana's website is visually stunning and very similar to some of the other website design's I've covered in this list. However, this time there's a clear emphasis on the use of color.

Color is so important when creating a website because you help create certain feelings and emotions in your visitors before they read a single word. For example:

• Red: Passion, excitement, love
• Pink: Soft, reserved, earthy
• Purple: Mysterious, noble, glamorous
• Blue: Wisdom, hope, reason, peace
• Green: Nature, growth, freshness
• Yellow: Hope, joy, danger
• Orange: Warmth, kindness, joy
• White: Truth, indifference
• Black: Noble, mysterious, cold

Source

Bear this in mind when designing your website to ensure you create the atmosphere you want your visitors to have instead of accidentally ruining your chance for a positive first impression.

💡 Takeaway: Creative design and your color choices can make a lasting impression, so make sure you're taking your time to get it as right as possible.

✅ Pros

• Visually stunning with clever use of color
• Minimal design that only focuses on what's important without overcomplicating anything
• Clear copywriting showcases her diverse work

❌ Cons

• The main CTA on the homepage is incredibly vague and could be improved drastically
• Lacks dedicated pages with more insight into Jana's work

Phew, the best writer websites like Natasha's are great because they actually have a bit of a newspaper or publication feel about them in terms of design. Honestly, I'm fully here for it.

Everything is laid out beautifully, and there's a ton of information to enjoy, all broken up into easily digestible segments. Big fan of the personal touches here (headshot photo, quotes, and personal insights), but finally - a banner across the top!

I've been waiting to see a journalist's website use this feature because they're so effective in encouraging visitors to take action. It highlights what's important to you and what visitors should focus on, so if your website provider allows it, USE IT!

💡 Takeaway: Bold storytelling is powerful, but keep design consistency and load times in mind. Don't forget to explore what features are available to you when building your website, and don't be afraid to make the most of them!

✅ Pros

• Bold and captivating design making the most of the provider's features
• Emphasis on personal story and her personality
• Showcases multimedia work in a clean, easily-digestible way

❌ Cons

• Inconsistent design elements and very text-heavy in places
• Could improve load times

Oof, I really like this writer website. The design is punchy and in your face, and I'm a huge fan of the modern take with simple copywriting and hard-hitting statements. Lots of people are.

Despite being big, bold, and only having six words to introduce herself, Nicole absolutely nails the approach, and not only nails what kind of professional she is but also manages to inject some of her own personality and pizazz into the content that really helps to raise her up as someone people can connect with.

And that's essential when you're a journalist, and you want people to listen and engage with what you have to say.

The color changes as you scroll down the page help break up each section of the website, keeping things interesting, even when a ton of information is conveyed.

💡 Takeaway: Simplicity works, but don't forget to add distinctive design elements and visuals. Adding a bit of your style and personality into the blend can also go a long way.

✅ Pros

• Simple, clean design with some beautifully-divided sections
• Highlights journalistic work with a focus on Nicole's value
• Very easy navigation that's a joy to explore

❌ Cons

• Needs more visual elements, such as a personal photo (even just one would help)
• A clear CTA for people to get in touch would be great for increasing contact with potential clients and employers

I know we've spoken about how so many of these great writer websites have a minimalist design, but I think the winner for this category has to go to Rocio.

The website, content, and impact of Rocio's space is literally black-and-white, have no fluff, and basically cut straight to the point of saying, "Here's who I am, here's what I do, hire me from here."

Honestly, I love this approach because it cuts through the noise and showcases that Rocio is not trying to be anyone other than who she is.

💡 Takeaway: Less is more when it comes to writing portfolio websites. We all know that the world is already overflowing with noise and chaos. Everyone's trying to say their piece. Writer websites like this are a safe haven because they clearly just focus on what matters.

✅ Pros

• A super clean, minimalist design
• Showcases journalistic work backed by academic pursuits
• A great example of less is more

❌ Cons

• Lacks personal touches
• Layout could come across as boring or underinvested to some

Ooo, now Suleika's website is interesting.

There are all the standard bits and pieces we love, like hero images, great copywriting, fast-loading times, and so on, but there's also so much more.

Most notably, there's a subtle pop-up for signing up for Suleika's newsletter. This shows that Suleika is dedicated to connecting with her fans and readers, posts regular content, and is engaged with the community she has around her journalism.

All of this is a great way to showcase you're involved in your professional career, have insights to share that people would be interested in, and help build her authority within the journalism industry.

💡 Takeaway: Let your story shine, and don't be afraid to do this in a way that's best for you. Whether you only work with publications, run a newsletter, or interact with people on social media, don't be afraid to broadcast in the way that's best for you.

✅ Pros

• Clean and professional design with some great imagery
• Captivating examples of storytelling, both personally and professionally
• Has clear examples of how she's building a community around her career, raising her authority as a journalist

❌ Cons

• Clearer links to social media could be ideal

Super clean and uses emojis (😍) - yup, I'm a big fan.

Taylor has taken a really traditional approach with her site, focusing on that minimalist, simple design with a note of elegance, a personal photo for that instant human connection, and lots of nice, sharp, and informative writing samples through copywriting.

Taylor keeps things up-to-date with a fresh insight into where she's working now, her current affairs, and what projects she's involved in, and the simple navigation allows for more of a deep dive into specific aspects of her career, should her visitors or employers want to know more.

💡 Takeaway: Elegance and simplicity work, but remember to infuse your personal brand and visuals. Don't be afraid to show off what you've done because that's what people are coming to your website for. You don't want potential employers to want to hunt around for the value you have to offer. Put it front and center.

✅ Pros

• Minimalist and elegant design
• Easy navigation with dedicated value-highlighting pages
• Mobile-friendly and well-optimized for quick loading times

❌ Cons

• Lacks personal branding and could do with some more spark
• Could do with more career highlights and interesting content on the homepage

Okay, we've covered some simple websites in this list, but this one is a clear forerunner for just how simple you can be.

This website isn't even a whole page; it's just a single frame of a web browser. Simple text, no images, and the navigation options are really well integrated into the main design.

It works, and it's certainly unique, and sure, it probably works for people who are already really interested in what Caroline has to say, but for me, it does miss the mark in a lot of ways. Poor Mark.

For someone who doesn't know Caroline or is perhaps looking for a suitable journalist, this design doesn't exactly pull anyone in to want to know more.

There are no images or ideas of her accomplishments. This writer website is forcing you to click in to find out more, and this can be very off-putting to a lot of people.

💡 Takeaway: Clean and elegant designs work, but infuse your personal brand and add engaging visuals. You need to hook people with what you have to offer, whether that's your writing skills or otherwise. Make them want to click - the internet and its people owe you nothing.

✅ Pros

• Clean and elegant design
• Mobile-friendly
• Easy navigation

❌ Cons

• Lacks personal branding
• Needs more engaging visuals

Chris Glover is a popular journalist, and his website represents this as wholeheartedly as possible. You don't need me to tell you that Chris has made sure that he, as a person, is front and center of this website, which ties in with what I was saying earlier about how the website can have a bit of you in it, but it needs to primarily be about your work and stories.

Chris's website doesn't do this.

Sure, it's visually appealing (although there's a lot of Chris's face everywhere), and the design is interesting, but I want to see more about his work in terms of what he has to say and what he focuses on. What he's achieved.

Look at Donald's website from earlier and see the difference for yourself.

💡 Takeaway: Content and messaging is everything, and you need to define what it is you're trying to say. Do you want people focused on you and your personality or your work and focus? It's up to you, but be clear before designing your website.

✅ Pros

• Simple, easy-to-follow design
• Heavy focus on television reporting

❌ Cons

• Very focused on Chris's face
• Could have more interesting, in-depth content to engage with