Online News: Journalism's Strands Converge

Convergence - Definitions

• One conglomerate operating different media in one area. 
• Cross-promotion of the same product across different media.
• Reporting a story in different ways to suit different media.

Convergence and the Tampa model allow journalists to work together across different media platforms in one building.  This allows for shared content, new advertisers, possibilities for increased revenue and improved quality of reporting.

Flaws in this model of convergence:

Few journalists are capable of working across three or four different media platforms.Inappropriate content is produced for each medium.

The influence of the web:

Such a powerful tool at the disposal of news organisations world-wide. Each medium is able to use the web to increase it's audience.

It offers an interactive environment where people can comment on stories or correct facts by emailing the journalist.

Part of the uptake in online media is driven by faster internet.

Working in a traditional medium, plus the web is the logical scenario. Multi-skilling is important for job satisfaction.

New Technology on Mass Media


New technology provides new challenges. The concept of news-on-demand. The online audience can "cherry-pick" its news. Ordinary people can submit their footage of news events using their digital cameras and mobile phones.

Matt Drudge was a well-known citizen-journalist. Tradition media no longer having a monopoly of news. 400, 000 hits a day on the news story.

Repurposed web content, news portals, immediacy - no time restraints. Content supplied to PDAs and mobile phones.

Writing news for the Web

Standard news reporting rules apply. Short paragraphs, no set work length, use of language - international audience, careful word use. Awareness of cultural and ethnic differences.

Advertising and Converging online makes more money. News consumers will mould the future.