== Accessing Online Journalism ==
Electronic Journalism
The internet and online journalism has revolutionised the way people access the news - and it goes beyond simply reading news stories on a web site.
By subscribing to a new website, users can be sent emails instantly about breaking events or periodically about areas of interest. News can be sent to mobile phones telling the user breaking stories or score updates of sporting events via sms. Buses in Brisbane, Australia now have a feature where headlines are broadcast on a rolling screen keeping commuters up-to-date.
The website of the San Francisco Chronicle has developed software that enables subscribers to listen to the news they want to on their way to work. Readers can specify their news preferences, what sections of the paper they want to hear and how long their commute lasts and by leaving a blank CD in their computer when they go to bed, a completed CD will be ready when they awake the next morning. Alternatively, the site can make a MP3 file or a sync to a PDA (Stovall, 2004: 13).
The internet provides an unprecedented ability to personalise the way news is accessed. By asking for the user’s post code the site is able to personalise the page to show news events in their local area as well as their state and country or provide a relevant weather forecast. With the use of cookies, sites are able to track the news viewing habits and preferences of the user and so customise their page when the user logs in.
Despite the possibilities, many editors are wary about news personalization as it means a shift towards user control of the site (Stovall, 2004: 46). Also, it is uncertain whether personalisation will increase or decrease profits – the driving force behind commercial news outlets.
People come to the web for information (De Wolk, 2001: 91). Getting information must be quick and efficient. Reading from a computer screen is difficult and uncomfortable for the eyes. The natural reaction is that content is not read thoroughly. Users scan the page for what they are looking for and if it takes too long, they leave (De Wolk, 2001: 91).
To counteract this Ward suggests journalists should:
Another benefit, online journalism allows users to access the news at any time of the day or night from a computer or PDA with an internet connection. No longer do users have to wait until the broadcast is aired or the paper is released the news is there when they want it.
As technology develops, consumers will expect more options in accessing the news from news outlets. No longer will it be seen as novel - it will become a way of life.
De Wolk, R. (2001) INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM: Publishing News and Information, USA: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0205286895
Hall, J. (2001) ONLINE JOURNALISM London: Pluto Press. ISBN 0745311938
Gunter, B. (2003) News and the Net USA: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Publishers. ISBN 0805844996
Ward, M. (2002) Journalism Online Oxford: Focal Press. ISBN 0240516109
Gemma Kinslow 19:52, 27 Aug 2004 (EST)
