People have always interacted with the media, however, interactivity can be far more flexible and deep in online journalism. This is because the internet provides a far wider range of communication flow than that afforded by any other medium. Interactivity distinguishes online journalism from its traditional forms and has created a new relationship between the journalist and the user.
"Understanding interactivity and how it works is fundamental to understanding the likely success of internet services" (Gunter, 2003: 146). Therefore it is important to consider what interactivity actually is. Kawamoto says interactivity is "the process of engaging active human or machine participation in the process of information seeking and information sharing" (2003: 4). Rafaeli suggestes a model with three levels of interactivity
(Gunter, 2003: 62) Online journalism provides the opportunity to implement all three levels.
Interactivity at its simplest level is the hyperlink which allows users to move from point to point within the same page, within the same site or even with external sites and pages. They allow users to background the story, read related articles or follow the story’s development.
Providing a facility that allows users to email the journalist in relation to the story increases responsive interactivity putting pressure on the journalist to be more accountable for their work.
Due to the nature of the internet, the flow of communication is instant meaning interactivity is more dynamic than written correspondence. Bulletin boards allow the user to interact with other users exchanging comments and criticisms. Providing a chat room encourages users to engage in discussion about the topic and can provide the journalism with an idea for a further story.
Most people who access internet sites are interested in finding specific information. The fast and efficient way for people to find what they want is by using a search function. News sites that do not provide this function will quickly lose their audience.
Despite this, research has shown that many online newspapers have not properly utilised these possibilities taking limited advantage of the multi-directional information flow (Kawamoto, 2003: 13). Many of the earlier online journalism sites (and quite a few of the present ones) simply transplant articles from their print counterparts onto the web page.
The online journalist should use caution when choosing how to apply interactivity to their site. A website should offer choice, not only in content, but also in levels of interactivity across a variety of platforms. If the site is discriminative in requiring users to have top level equipment or expensive software a large proportion of users will be excluded causing a digital divide.
The design of the website is also extremely important. If a user can move easily around the site jumping from page to page without much effort or wait in download time the user will feel more connected with the medium.
If online journalists utilize interactivity more effectively the medium will progress and meet user needs more effectively. Development has been slow due to issues with bandwidth, however, as broadband and cable internet become more prevalent, online journalism will too.
Boczkowski, P. (2004) Digitizing the News London: The MIT Press. ISBN 0262025590
De Wolk, R (2001) INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE JOURNALISM: Publishing News and Information USA: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0205286895
Gunter, B (2003) News and the Net, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. ISBN 0805844996
Herbert, J. (2000) JOURNALISM IN THE DIGITAL AGE: THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR BROADCAST, PRINT AND ONLINE MEDIA Oxford: Focal Press. ISBN 0240515897
Kawamoto, K (2003) Digital Journalism UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0742526801
Gemma Kinslow 13:16, 2 Sep 2004 (EST)
