The development of online journalism has been an ongoing and gradual process that has changed the face of traditional journalism. As new technologies are developed and become more readily available, news organizations such as CNN, have incorporated these technologies to enable faster, interactive, non-stop news coverage on the internet.
David Carlson (in Kawamoto, 2003: 31-34) states that the roots of online journalism lie in 1970, where the inventors expected the public to view news information on television sets, through teletext. Teletext involved displaying words and numbers on television screens in place of normal programming.
The advantages of teletext were great at the time. Consumers were able to access news and information for free without the use of a telephone or computer. However, there were weaknesses within the teletext system, such as the information had to be brief to fit on the teletext pages. Also the graphics were of poor quality, and the images took a large amount of time to download onto the screen. Although many companies launched teletext systems between 1975 and 1984, none were successful enough to survive long term.
After the invention of teletext another type of digital journalism was invented at British Telecom, it was called Videotex. Videotex refers to various computer-based interactive systems that electronically deliver text, numbers and graphics via telephone lines, two-way cable, computer networks, or any combination of the three, for display on a television set, video monitor or personal computer. (Carlson, 2002)
The videotex system was a major breakthrough in the online world as it was interactive, enabling consumers to send and receive data. The latest and most popular forms of videotex systems are AOL and the World Wide Web.
Videotex was the catalyst for the creation of online news journalism. “The first journalism site on the web launched in November 1993 at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and on January 19, 1994 the Palo Alto Weekly in California, USA, became the first newspaper to publish regularly on the web.� (Kawamoto, 2003:50)
Many companies followed suit, after the first online newspaper was developed. These companies realised that the web offered a fast, innovative and cost effective way to deliver news to consumers. Digital Journalism allows journalists to deliver a more dynamic and robust story with fewer constraints than traditional news media. “It can enhance a story’s depth and breadth and use more ways of engaging the news consumer.� (Kawamoto, 2003:176)
Online journalism enables the convergence of mediums, such as audio and text to present the news in a more accessible and vibrant manner than traditional media. Many newspapers are adopting such techniques. “At the Age Online, they see a future in the blending of stills, audio and text to produce stories that are told in a way unique to the medium.� (Alysen et al, 2003: 261)
The development of online journalism has had multiple benefits to both organisations that implement these technologies and to the consumers. Not only does online journalism deliver high quality media, it also provides a greater range and diversity of formats.
Alysen, B., Sedorkin, G., Oakham, M. and Patching, R. (2003) Reporting in a Multimedia World, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Carlson. (2002). Videotex [Online]. Available: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/carlson/history/ videotex.htm [Accessed 17 Oct. 200]
Kawamoto, K. (2003) Digital Journalism: Emerging Media and the Changing Horizons of Journalism, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
Kellie McCall 14:29, 23 Aug 2004 (EST)
