4. What are the main differences between print and online journalism?
The first difference I feel obliged to discuss would be the accessibility of new information. With traditional publications issued perhaps on a weekly or even fortnightly basis, any new content cannot be implemented until the following issue. In comparision to online journalism, web sites / journals / blogs can be updated on a daily, 24/7 basis, allowing for instant access to new information as opposed to periodically - ie; determined by the publication dates of said articles. "Online journalism provides the best arena for distributing news quickly" (Media-Culture, 2004). In short; "for the person who wants an instant update, the difference between rolling news and online is like the difference between jumping on a passing bus or flagging down a taxi. The bus gets you there in the end, but you take in a lot of other scenery enroute" (Ward 2002, p. 134).
For me another primary difference is the level of content one can examine when comparing these two formats. Online, to a degree, allows for an unfiltered volume of information to work with, if not with reference to the size of a particular article, the freedom of the internet allows consumers to pull a limitless amount of data from numerous sources. In comparision to print journalism, such as articles seen in NME or Kerrang for example; the consumer has paid the fee and in return has an exact amount of data available to him. This effectively leads to a double-edged sword. With word counts etc to meet, the content needs to be informative & concise throughout. The freedom to write an article much longer would perhaps come at the deteriment of the piece in question.
Another, perhaps less obvious between these two types of journalism would be the audience participation. More relevant to blogs, but the majority of online articles will have some level of opportunity for reader feedback, whether this be a comments section or email etc. '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" (Media-Culture, 2004). In print journalism, the audience is static; ie, the information is presented to them on a regular basis without a clear means of involvement - merely acting as the consumer. Any form of online journalism will have more of an active involvement with its member/readership. A relevant example is TheYoungTurks, a political news site where the audience / consumer play a significant role in the direction of the publication.
M/CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW MEDIA, 2004 Immediacy [online] [viewed 6 May 2011]. Available from: http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Online_Journalism:_Immediacy
M/CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW MEDIA, 2004 Interactivity [online] [viewed 6 May 2011]. Available from: http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Online_Journalism:_Interactivity
THE YOUNG TURKS, 2011 [online] [viewed 15 April 2011]. Available from: http://www.theyoungturks.com/
WARD, M., 2002. Journalism Online. Oxford: Focal Press
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