OJ

The BBC’s website carries an entire section devoted to coverage of the Indian elections. This is interesting as many online news websites are not covering this event at all, or at least not in great detail. The BBC are using online journalism to bring this event to the attention of thousands of people who otherwise may not be aware of it.

In addition to articles on the subject, there are pictures, videos, statistics and even an interactive map. Here the BBC are clearly making the most of what online journalism has to offer. This type of in-depth coverage would not be possible on an ordinary news bulletin or in a newspaper.

Another interesting point is that the BBC have also included a link to the blog of Soutik Biswas, an Indian journalist working for the BBC. This is clearly an effort on the part of BBC to bring an element of citizen journalism to their reporting. This is a step which many online news sites are taking in order to reduce the threat posed by citizen journalism.

The recent devastating earthquake in Italy has clearly shown the extent to which online news websites are capable of covering a particular story in immense detail.

For example, the Sky News website has a whole section devoted to the eathquake. This section contains multiple videos and picture galleries relating to the event and readers are also invited to give their opinions on the disaster by clicking on ‘comment’. At the bottom of the page, there are links to even more coverage on the earthquake. The website is also being constantly updated as the latest information emerges. After reading about the Italian earthquake on the Sky News website, you would not have much reason to go out and buy a newspaper.

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Are today’s papers simply doing nothing more than reporting yesterday’s news? Indeed it is true that a blogger and his mobile phone can deliver the news in a matter of seconds and upload their stories to websites or their own personal blogs.

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The increase in online journalism is impacting on even the largest and most well-known newspapers, such as The New York Times. Accoring to the lastest data from America’s Audit Bureau of Circulations, circulation is down 3.9%.

The decline of popular newspapers is being blamed on the internet and the advent of online journalism, which provides free, 24 hour news coverage. The internet also facilitates advertising which means businesses are not advertising in print editions as much.

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By this stage, the majority of us have probably heard mention of Twitter- a website comprised of tweets added by users to inform friends, family and co-workers of exactly what’s going on in their lives.

Twitter could soon become an important resource for online journalists. Twitter is currently developing new search tools which could assist journalists in keeping up to date with stories which they are currently working on.

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At the moment, there is much discussion concerning the debate between professional and citizen journalism. It also appears that there is an element of competition between the sectors also.

Whilst preparing for our class presentation, I came across an interesting video on YouTube which focused on the conflict between professional and citizen journalism. The video is also a prime example of how the web is fostering current debates in journalism:

There have undoubtedly been some major developments in online journalism in recent years. Even such simple steps as a news website allowing readers to publish comments below news stories provides the basis for citizen journalism. Poynter Online allows it’s users to do this and an article on Poynter Online refers to these developments. Another example of online citizen journalism is open-source reporting. This is where the journalist and the citizen work together on a story and the citizens contribute their expertise on a certain issue. The Spokesman-Review is an example of a publication which operates this policy.

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Is the social networking site Facebook simply a convenient way to stay in touch with family and friends… or is there perhaps a more sinister side to this latest craze?

Is Facebook is not as benign as it would appear? We have all heard of people becoming addicted to online gambling and pornography but as college students, I’m sure we are all too aware of how much time we each spend on Facebook each day.

Whilst on Facebook, I noticed that there are even special groups for self-proclaimed Facebook addicts! … continue reading this entry.

Whilst on the Sky News website recently, I noticed that there have been some changes with regards to levels of interactivity. There also seems to be an increase in the amount of online content.

Whereas in the past, the team working on online news were quite separate from the reporters broadcasting the news to the public, now both teams are working in close proximity to eachother. The online team are able to hear bulletins as they are broadcast and can then immediately adapt these bulletins for the Sky News website.

The Sky News website has also become increasingly interactive in recent years with the introduction of features such as live online chats and Twitter.

The Sky News website relaunced last summer and this has enabled the news to be told in a more interesting and dynamic manner with such features as data on the UK’s job crisis and the Economic Cycle.

An interesting letter to the editor of The Journalist magazine makes the point that perhaps as journalists we should not be so fearful of technology as current opinion would have us believe.

The letter points out that Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press caused quite a commotion when it arrived over 500 years ago but look at all that has been gained from that invention. Instead of focusing on the negative impact which technology will have on journalism, we need instead to focus on the immense opportunities which it provides.

Technology has already led to multiple advances in online journalism-the public now have access to up to the minute news on demand and journalists have access to a plethora or resources which previously they could never have imagined.