Online news

Inventions of new technologies have, throughout history, posed problems for the way news should be delivered. News has evolved from telegrams/print to radio to television to internet. Each medium has its own unique way of presenting information that had to be carefully worked to better fit the public. Today's medium of choice for most young people- the internet- is no different.

For the purpose of this blog, I looked into 4 newspapers' websites... my hometown newspaper, The Morning Call, Knoxville's newspaper, the Knoxville News Sentinel, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. The first thing I noticed as I pulled up these various sites was that they all have at least one color picture on the upper half of the main screen. This is most likely to catch the eye of the viewer without having them scroll down.

They all also have other things in common, such as search bars to search the web or their own site, numerous links, videos, a place for the viewer to contribute, and advertisements. I think all of these things help "upgrade" their online publications. You can't get interactive links, polls, and user-contributed content from any other medium as of now.

It is important for these newspapers to understand their audience. They realize that it is most likely a younger audience who will view their sites. In order to capture this particular audience's attention, personally I would make sure there was a lot of interactivity. Our generation is now used to a lot of things being instant and fitted for them with the evolution of the internet. I would make sure my site is prompt with up-to-the-minute news updates and plenty of room for feedback.

As for what gets reported and what doesn't, I feel that the newspapers now have got it right for the most part. With the internet compared to print, there is more room for various stories that maybe wouldn't have made it to the paper. Audiences like to feel included in their community and in its news, so I would make sure to try and get out on the streets and talk to real people. I would then make sure my site included a lot of these people's stories and news that involved them.

If I had a choice, I would choose to follow the current trend and publish news on the internet. I feel that it is much more interesting to have videos and polls online than to just read a story's words. I always enjoy to have an image or two that goes with the stories I read in print, and with the internet, it is possible! I also think it has a possibility of bringing a community together in ways print couldn't, especially by getting everyone involved!