While The Meridian Star’s heritage is delivering a printed newspaper, there are many advantages and benefits to using your membership to meridianstar.com.

Our digital site is updated every day of the week with news and information as it becomes available. Our policy is to update meridianstar.com as soon as information is confirmed and then to build on that reporting.

By utilizing your membership, you will have access to information before it appears in print, and find updated information that might develop after our print deadlines or on the off days we do not produce a printed newspaper.

In addition, you will find much more information that won’t fit or can’t be produced on printed pages. Our digital site contains videos, photo galleries, podcasts and documents to enhance our reporting and provide you with additional information.

For example, we might be able to print two or three photos from a high school football game, but our website might contain dozens of photos and video from that game. A news account may contain reporting on a court case or city ordinance, but the website might in addition contain a multi-page original document that provides you with more background and context. The news report online will also contain useful links to previous reporting and original sources. Please take the time to click through our content and explore those extra features.

Your membership also provides you with access to our archive of published content, which dates back to 2008.

GETTING STARTED

From your internet browser, visit www.meridianstar.com.

Welcome to your home page. Near the top right-hand corner, you will see a green box labeled “Login.” Click there to start. Once you’re logged in, the label changes to “My Account.”

Next, if you are a print subscriber ready to activate your account for the first time, click on “Activate.” Follow the directions and fill out the boxes, which requests your email address, a password that you’ll create, your name, address and phone number. Once you have filled out and submitted the form, be sure to check your e-mail box for an Account Activation e-mail from us. This e-mail contains a link that you will need to click to confirm and complete your Digital Access activation. You will not be able to access the complete website or mobile site, or the e-edition, until that step is completed. Please check your e-mail’s Inbox or spam mail folders for the Account Activation e-mail containing this link. If you have any problems or issues, click on the “Contact” tab and call 601-693-1551 or e-mail our circulation department class01@themeridianstar.com or class02@themeridianstar.com.

If you don’t have an account, you may click on “subscribe” and then follow the prompts to sign up for either Total Access, which arranges for print delivery and digital access, or Digital Access, which provides only digital access. You may also click on “Day Pass” if you’re interested only in digital access for a day or you just want to give us a try.

If you already have an account, click on “Login” and enter your email address, then password. If you also click on “remember me,” you won’t have to remember that password.

If you have any problems, please call our customer service line at 601-693-1551 and a representative will help you.

Now you’re signed in and ready to go.

HOMEPAGE

Welcome! You will find many points to enter the website and find specific stories from this page. It’s designed to give you a selection of featured content if you’re looking for news of the hour, but there are also points of entry if you desire to reach a specific type of content, such as Sports or Obituaries.

The most obvious to you will be the three main display articles. Those usually are the three stories that editors believe will have the most interest, impact or importance to the community. Usually the most recent articles that fit that description will appear in these spots, but we’ll sometimes “pin” an older article here that has high reader interest.

Just below those display photos you will find two “rails” of articles.

On the left are the five most recent Local News articles. On the right are a mix of five recent Local, Lifestyle and Sports articles, followed by our Online Poll.

Scrolling down you’ll next find our video player, which features our six most recent videos. To the right of the videos are our Newsmakers Podcasts and a summary of recent obituaries.

Continuing your scroll down, you will find our six most recent photo galleries where you can click through hundreds of photos. Next to them, if you like to follow the crowd, is a list of articles that are most popular with our readers.

Next, you will see links to our section fronts: Sports, Opinion, Business and Lifestyles.

They’re followed by a panel of our magazines, Meridian Home & Style and Timeless Meridian. Click on them and you can see their e-editions, allowing you to flip through them and view them just as you would a print magazine. Click on the arrows above them and you can find previous editions in case you missed an issue or want to return to older content.

Next is a calendar of events. Click on the dates if you’re looking for something to do on a specific day or click on “See All Events” to review a variety of activities around the region. You can also add your own event by clicking on the “Add your event” icon.

The “Enterprise” section highlights our three most recent in-depth, long-form articles. These are special reports that could be timeless features or investigative pieces about topics we think are important to our community.

Next is a list of the six most recent National & World News reports. This is automatically updated as news breaks around the nation and world.

You’ve reached the bottom of the Homepage where you’ll find our contact information, information about us and our services and links back to specific sections. Click on any of the words and you will be directed to that information.

If you have a specific area of interest, scroll back to the very top and there are quicker ways to find that specific information.

TOP OF THE HOMEPAGE

You’ll find some quick links here if you have a specific interest in mind.

Weather: At the top left is the current temperature. Click on it and you’ll see the forecast along with information such as sunrise, sunset, humidity and heat index. There are also links to the current radar image for the region and a seven-day forecast. If you see a red-highlighted triangle, it means there’s a weather alert such as a flood watch or severe thunderstorm warning for our region.

Newsletters: At the top right is a blue envelope icon. Click on it and you can sign up for our newsletters. Fill out the prompts and select the newsletters that interest you. We offer Morning News Headlines, Saturday Morning Sports Reports, Breaking News Alerts, Weather Alerts and Newsletter Alerts. The Morning News Headlines are delivered to your email inbox Tuesday through Sunday mornings, showing you the top four or five stories of the day. Saturday Morning Sports Reports is delivered each Saturday morning, with the top headlines from the Sports Section. The other newsletters are sent out for developing news and alerts that have high reader interest, such as storm warnings or news that will have immediate impact.

Search: If you’re looking for information about a specific person, organization or topic, enter your search words here, click your return key and you will see a list of content we’ve published on that topic. Tip: if you place your search words inside quotes it will narrow the results. For example, “Meridian Little Theatre” would give you all articles on the local playhouse; Meridian Little Theatre without the quotes will give you all articles containing any of those three words.

The search box is a great way to return to content that you remember, someone told you about or you would like to look up from last week, last month or a few years ago.

SECTION TABS

If you have specific content in mind when visiting meridianstar.com, there are shortcuts to finding that content whether you’re looking for a section such as Sports or Opinion or finding out how to contact us about placing an ad.

Just below The Meridian Star banner you will find a row of tabs to explore.

On the far left is a “Menu” tab. Click on it and you will find a directory of sections and options.

My Account is the first option when you open the Menu. From there you manage your subscription, activate your account or change your password.

The list below includes sections such as News and Sports. If you click on the arrow pointing down, it opens options to see subsections such as Local News, Business, Local Sports, State Sports and so on. Take some time and explore the many options within each section.

Celebrations is an advertising section that allows you to celebrate occasions such as anniversaries, graduations, weddings and birthdays. If you click on any of celebration items, you will see special occasions that have been posted by others. You can see recent posts or use the search box to find a specific person or couple. If you purchase an advertisement, you can add a photo and write the congratulation note in your own words. To place an ad, click on the “Place an announcement tab” and follow the prompts.

Obituaries: You will see the most recent obituaries if you click on the tab. Once on the Obituary page, you may also click on “Yesterday,” “Last Week” or use the search box to find a specific obituary. While most people choose to have a funeral director create the obituary, you may also create an obituary by clicking on the “Create an Obituary” purple tab box at the top right of the Obituary page. Follow the prompts to create an obituary or death notice.

Classifieds: If you click on the down arrow, you will open the tab to see the Jobs, Autos and Homes categories. Click on one of those to search advertisements. You may also clock on “Place an Ad” to create a classified advertisement.

E-Paper: If you enjoy reading The Meridian Star in the traditional print format, click on the E-Paper tab and you will see the most recent edition of The Meridian Star. Click on a story and it will display in an easy-to-read format. Click on the arrows at the right and you can browse through the E-Paper just as you would a printed newspaper.

At the top right of the story box, there are several navigation buttons.

The arrows allow you to click through one story at a time.

Click on the audio icon and the article will be read to you.

Click on the print icon for a printout.

Click on the share icon and you can choose to post the article to Facebook or Twitter, create a PDF, clip the article just as you would from print or email the article.

At the far right of the page:

You can choose how you would like to browse through the paper.

Click on Pages to see each of the individual pages of that edition.

Click on Index to navigate to different sections, such as Sports or Lifestyles.

Click on Editions to see the last month’s worth of editions.

Click on Search Archive to see previous months or years. The e-editions date back to 2013.

APP: From your browser you can download our mobile APP for easy reading from a smart phone or tablet.

Public Notices: Search for legal advertisements such as those placed by government agencies and the courts. They’re a good way to track public business.

Contact Us: Click on the box and you will see a staff directory and phone numbers. Open the tab and you may use the forms to submit a Letter to the Editor, submit a news tip or place an obituary.

Subscribe: Open the tab and you can start a subscription, manage your subscription, navigate to the E-Edition, download our APP or subscribe to a newsletter.

Shop: Open the tab and look for coupons, view the weekly circulars or view featured advertisements.

To the right of the Menu

Next to the menu tab, there is a row of tabs, or shortcuts, to different sections of meridianstar.com.

The home icon till take you to pull-down tabs that provide information “About Us,” The Meridian Star, and our various departments; Contact Us, which provides a staff directory and phone numbers; and Advertise With Us, which gives information about the audience you can reach through our services.

E-Paper: Directs you to the e-edition as we’ve described above. If you enjoy reading The Meridian Star in the traditional print format, click on the E-Paper tab and you will the most recent edition of The Meridian Star.

Local Events: Directs you to calendar information and provides a link to add your own items to our calendar as we’ve described above.

Classifieds: Directs you to the Classified section where you may browse ads for items such as merchandise, real estate and employment or you can place your own advertisement.

Celebrations: Directs you to an advertising section that allows you to celebrate occasions such as anniversaries, graduations, weddings and birthdays as we’ve described above.

Obituaries: Directs you to our listing of obituaries and death notices and allows you to place those notices, too, as described above.

Public Notices: Search for legal advertisements such as those placed by government agencies and the courts.

Contact Us: Click on the box and you will see a staff directory and phone numbers. Open the tab and you may use the forms to submit a Letter to the Editor, submit a news tip or place an obituary.

Subscribe: Open the tab and you can start a subscription, manage your subscription, navigate to the E-Edition, download our APP or subscribe to a newsletter.

TOUR COMPLETED

Thank you for completing a tour of meridianstar.com. We hope you take the time to explore the website and make full use of your membership. If you still have a question, we’re always willing to help if you call us at 601-693-1551.