WebProNews

NPR has announced it has relaunched its website in an effort to make it easier to combine listening and reading, follow breaking news, comment on and share stories and find programming from local NPR stations.

The site is now organized to highlight news, arts & life and music. NPR says visitors to the sight will be able to follow news throughout the day, with top stories updated regularly. NPR's news blog will offer discussions of the day's news.

The site also offers a new search tool powered by Google that allows user to find programs or topics faster.

"We're making it easier for the public to find our stations, listen to NPR programs, and follow the news throughout the day," said Vivian Schiller, NPR's President and CEO.

"With many traditional news outlets declining, listeners are depending more on NPR and our member stations to meet their information needs on every platform. The new NPR.org and our strong push into mobile applications will take public radio to the next level of audience service."

Users will have the ability to customize the NPR homepage to receive a mix of local and national news. With the relaunch of the site, NPR has also dropped fees for transcripts, allowing users access to transcripts dating back to 2005.