In an interesting move that could have repercussions for new media and other online newspapers, washingtonpost.com today switched to a dual homepage format. One homepage features more local and regionalized news, and the other has a national/international focus that won’t highlight the Post’s regional content (like the Entertainment Guide) as much. Which homepage you view is based on your registered zip code — if you provide a local zip code, you will get the local page, and if you’re outside of the Metro area, you’ll get the other. You’re also able to manually choose which homepage you would like to view. Jim Brady, the executive editor of washingtonpost.com, writes today that:

While the home page you first receive will be tied to your registration zip code, you will be able to override that setting, since we realize providing choice is crucial in the Web world. It’s also important to note that, regardless of which page you receive, you won’t be cut off from any content on washingtonpost.com.

On the local home page, you will still receive all the major national and international stories of the day, but you’ll also see a greater emphasis on local news, traffic, weather, entertainment and features. On the national/international page, you will find news and perspective from around the globe, but we will still promote local stories that we believe will resonate outside the Beltway.

Paidcontent.org reported on the move earlier this week, calling it “a good advertising move,” and editorsweblog.org says it’s a “good idea for newspapers who have both a local and an international brand… and who have local competitors.”

Personally, since we first read about this possible switch to a dual homepage format back in April in the Online Journalism Review, we’ve thought it was a great idea. The dual homepages will allow the Post to more effectively target its advertising, and hopefully also help the Post deal with its identity problems as a national/local paper. And it provides the reader with more content control and choice, which we always like (though for real customization, you should try out mywashingtonpost.com).

What’s your opinion? Is this a bad, good, or extremely annoying move by washingtonpost.com? Which homepage will you be viewing?