How SM2's Website Is Organized for Finding News, Sports, Opinion and Podcasts

Updated

SM2 (sm2media.com) organizes its content into labeled sections on the homepage — News, Sports, Opinion, Features, and Podcasts — with each section showing a handful of recent items and a "View All" link to the full list. Every story card carries a headline, byline, and publication date, so you can scan by topic and time before clicking. Use the section blocks if you know what kind of story you want; use the dated cards if you want the newest items first.

The homepage section structure

The homepage works as a set of stacked section blocks rather than a single chronological feed. Each block follows the same pattern: a section label, a short list of recent stories, and a "View All" entry point.

Section What it covers How to browse it
News Campus and local Hattiesburg reporting, e.g. homecoming coverage, local protests, campus construction and demolition Read the latest cards in the block, or open "View All News" for the full list
Sports Southern Miss teams, e.g. volleyball, soccer, and football coverage Scan the dated cards in the Sports block
Opinion Columns, reviews, and commentary, e.g. film and music reviews and generational essays Use the Opinion block, then "View All Opinion"
Features Longer profiles and human-interest pieces, e.g. alumni in television careers and students running businesses Browse the Features block
Podcasts Episodes of "Southern Miss Today," listed by date Pick an episode by its date label

A "Trending Stories" list also appears near the top, ranking five items by apparent reader interest — useful when you want the most-read pieces rather than the newest ones.

Finding a specific kind of story

If you want campus or local news: start with the News block. The homepage excerpt shows items like "Local Hattiesburg No Kings Protests Encourage People to Vote" and "Southern Miss Celebrates Homecoming 2026," each with a byline and date (e.g. October 21, 2026). Open "View All News" when the five or so previewed items aren't enough.

If you want sports results and previews: the Sports block lists game coverage such as volleyball losses to Arkansas State and soccer results against App State, each dated. Because cards include the date, you can tell a match report from a preview — for example, "Southern Miss Soccer Falls to App State After Early Lead" (October 25) versus "USM Soccer Seeks Sun Belt Tournament Berth" (October 21).

If you want commentary or reviews: the Opinion block groups reviews and columns, including a film review of Pan's Labyrinth and music reviews. "View All Opinion" opens the full archive.

If you want audio: the Podcasts block lists "Southern Miss Today" episodes by date, so you can pick the most recent episode or work backward.

Reading the article cards

Every card on the homepage follows the same three-part format: headline, author, and date. That consistency is the main navigation aid — you can judge recency and writer at a glance without opening the story. For example, a card reading "Southern Miss Theatre Prepares for 'Ubu the King' — Alvia Walker | October 21, 2026" tells you the topic, who wrote it, and how fresh it is in one line.

Two practical consequences:

  • Recency checks are fast. If you're looking for coverage of an event this week, compare the card dates against today rather than opening each article.
  • Author tracking is possible. Byline patterns let you follow a writer's output across sections — the same names recur in News, Sports, and Opinion.

Supporting the site while you browse

A contribution prompt near the top of the homepage states that contributions let SM2 purchase equipment and cover annual website hosting costs. If you want to support the publication financially, that prompt is the entry point; the site's payment setup references Stripe. The homepage does not state contribution amounts or whether any content is restricted, so treat the prompt as a general funding request rather than a paywall notice.

Common snags

  • Section blocks show only a few items. If a story you expect isn't visible, it has likely rotated out of the preview — use the section's "View All" link instead of scrolling the homepage repeatedly.
  • Trending is not the same as newest. The Trending Stories list ranks by popularity, so its dates can be older than the section previews. Check the card date before assuming an item is current.
  • Podcast episodes are date-labeled only. The homepage lists episodes by date without descriptions, so you'll need to open an episode to learn its contents.