Digital journalism facts for kids

Digital journalism, also known as online journalism, is a modern way of sharing news and stories using the Internet. Instead of printing newspapers or broadcasting on TV, digital journalism uses websites, apps, and other online tools. It includes news and features about current events, presented as text, audio, video, or even interactive games.

It's easier and cheaper to share information online now. This has made it possible for many more people to share news. Before, only big newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV stations controlled the news. Digital journalism has opened up the flow of information to everyone.

Some people think digital journalism allows for more creativity than traditional news. The online tools can be a big part of the story itself. Writers, editors, and publishers can use these tools in new and exciting ways.

However, the growth of digital journalism might not be as big as some thought. A 2019 survey showed that people spent less time on online news sites compared to 2016.

What is Digital Journalism?

Digital journalism uses parts of digital media to do journalistic tasks. For example, it uses the internet as a tool, not just as one type of digital media. There isn't one exact definition of what digital journalism is. Some experts say we should create content first, then share it on different platforms like websites or phones.

Some think that just putting print stories online is enough. Others believe digital journalism needs special features of the internet. These include:

• Hypertext: Links that take you to other related information.
• Multimedia: Using different types of media like videos, sounds, and pictures.
• Interactivity: Letting people comment or take part in the story.

Digital journalism can be anything from professional news sites like CNN online to websites where anyone can share information. It changes how reporters connect with their audience and news groups. People now expect news instantly, which helped digital journalism grow.

Some researchers also worry that free online content and ads could make it harder for traditional news companies to make money.

How Digital Journalism Started

The first type of digital journalism was called teletext. It was invented in the UK in 1970. Teletext let viewers choose which stories they wanted to read and see them right away. The information was short and quick, much like today's digital news.

Later, videotex was invented. The first system, Prestel, started in 1979. British newspapers used it to deliver stories online. But videotex closed down in 1986 because it didn't meet what users wanted. American newspapers also tried similar systems, but they all closed by 1986.

Next came computer Bulletin Board Systems (BBS). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, smaller newspapers started online news services using BBS software. The Albuquerque Tribune was one of the first in 1989.

Online news websites really grew in the 1990s. An early example was The News & Observer in North Carolina, which offered online news as Nando. Many believe Nando was the first serious, professional news site on the World Wide Web. A big boost came with the first commercial web browsers, Netscape Navigator (1994) and Internet Explorer (1995). By 1996, most news groups had an online presence.

Online news offered new features like:

• Toolbars for easy navigation.
• News grouped by topic.
• Links to other stories.
• A twenty-four-hour news cycle.
• Ways for users and journalists to interact, like web boards.

Later, big websites like AOL and Yahoo! started collecting and sorting news links from many sources. This meant news agencies could provide more content than ever before. Salon, an online magazine, was founded in 1995. In 2001, it was called the internet's "most important independent place for journalism."

In 2008, for the first time, more Americans said they got their national and international news from the internet than from newspapers. Young people (18 to 29) mostly get their news online. News sites continued to grow as more people used the internet.

Most journalists in Western countries now use the internet every day for their work. Besides mainstream news sites, digital journalism is also found on:

• Sites that link to existing news.
• Sites that comment on news issues.
• Sites where people connect and discuss, like Slashdot.
• Blogs: These can be personal sites or big news sources.

Before 2008, the news industry hoped that online news would make enough money to pay for newsgathering. But in 2008, online advertising slowed down. Despite this, online newsrooms continued to grow. Many believe advertising will be the best way to make money for online news.

The Online News Association, started in 1999, is the largest group for online journalists. It has over 1,700 members who work on news for digital platforms.

The internet challenges traditional news in several ways. Newspapers can lose ads to websites that target specific interests. News groups worry about losing readers to the internet.

Hyperlocal journalism is news about a very small community. It's convenient and often free or cheap, offering more information than older types of journalism.

Facebook and News

Facebook has put a lot of money into news sources. Some journalists say Facebook has taken over the news business. In 2019, Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said he would spend $300 million on local news over three years.

How Digital Journalism Affects Readers

Digital journalism allows people to connect and discuss news in ways that print newspapers cannot. People can comment on articles and start discussion boards. Before the internet, it was impossible for readers who didn't know each other to discuss news instantly. Discussing news is a big part of digital journalism. People can add to stories and connect with others who want to talk about the same topic.

Digital journalism also creates opportunities for niche audiences. This means people can find news and stories that are very specific to their interests.

Digital journalism offers new ways to tell stories. Digital journalists can use audio, video, and digital photography. While the layout might be different, research shows that people remember and process news similarly, whether it's online or in print.

Online sources can provide quick, efficient, and accurate breaking news in seconds. Journalists can update stories as events happen, keeping readers up-to-date very quickly. However, this speed can sometimes affect how accurate the reporting is. In print journalism, there was more time to find and fix mistakes before printing.

News readers need to be good at using the internet and think critically about what they read. Since anyone can write and post articles online, the definition of journalism is changing. It's easy for regular people to share news through blogs or comments on news websites. This means there's a huge amount of information online, and it can be hard to sort through it all.

While there are many advantages to digital journalism and blogging, there are also disadvantages. Some people find it hard to keep up with new technologies. Also, while the goals of print and digital journalism are the same, they use different tools.

The interaction between writers and readers is new with digital journalism. People can share their thoughts easily online. However, a big challenge is making sure the information is accurate. Digital journalism needs to focus on accuracy to avoid criticism.

A study found that the public often sees online media as more trustworthy than it actually is.

Digital journalism has changed how journalists work worldwide. Older journalists who are not good with technology have felt this change. Many older journalists have been replaced by younger ones who are cheaper and better with new technology.

How Digital Journalism Affects Publishers

Many newspapers, like The New York Times, have created online sites to stay competitive. They use audio, video, and links to remain popular. Most people now get their news on phones and tablets, so audio and video are a big plus.

Newspapers rarely break news stories first anymore. Most websites report breaking news before TV channels. Digital journalism allows stories to start vague and then add more details as they become available. Newspapers and TV often have to wait for enough details before they can share a story. Newspapers might have to wait until the next day to publish late-breaking news.

Newspapers are losing ground to online news. Advertising money is moving to the internet, and fewer people are subscribing to printed papers. People can now find the news they want, when they want, without leaving home or paying for it. However, some people are still willing to pay for online news.

Because of these changes, some people thought digital journalism would mean the end of traditional journalism. However, it has mostly changed how news is produced. Websites like Craigslist have changed how people advertise. The internet has made it faster and cheaper to share news, shifting ad sales from newspapers to online.

Many newspapers and print journalists have had to close down because of digital journalism's popularity. Those that survived tried to save money by:

• Laying off staff.
• Making publications smaller.
• Stopping some editions.
• Partnering with other businesses to share news.

A 2009 study found that most journalists are ready for the digital world. They believe the change from print to digital in their newsrooms is happening too slowly. Some specialized jobs in publishing have become unnecessary. The growth of digital journalism and economic problems have also led to job cuts in the industry.

Students who want to become journalists now need to know about digital journalism. They must understand their audience and communicate well. They also need to be fast, as news websites update stories within minutes. Other skills include creating websites and uploading information using basic computer skills.

Some critics worry that digital journalism makes it easier for people who aren't trained journalists to share wrong information. They believe many sites don't have reliable information. Sites like PerezHilton.com have been criticized for mixing journalism with personal opinions.

Some critics think newspapers should not switch completely to online formats. They believe newspapers should keep both print and digital versions.

Digital journalism lets readers join online discussions about news articles. This helps writers and reporters understand what's important and what to include in future stories. These discussions can help improve future articles.

Changes for Traditional Journalism

The move to digital is changing many traditional journalism practices. Journalists' work now depends more and more on digital tools. Experts say this changes how journalism is done, not the basic idea of it. They believe it means some skills become less important, while others become more important. This idea goes against the thought that technology is always bad for journalism. It simply means the skills needed are changing.

Digital journalism also helps citizen journalism grow. Because digital journalism is online and often shared by regular people, there's a growing competition. Citizen journalism allows anyone to post anything. This sometimes makes professional journalists rush stories and not always check their sources.

Working Outside Traditional News

The internet has also allowed more people who are not professional journalists to share news. This includes groups like Indy Media.

Bloggers write on web logs, or blogs. Traditional journalists often don't see bloggers as journalists automatically. This is more about standards and professional practices than the online tool. For example, crowdsourcing (getting information from many people) and crowdfunding (getting money from many people) journalism attracts amateur journalists. It also attracts professionals who feel limited by traditional news rules. However, these types of journalism might not always follow the professional rules that ensure accuracy and fairness.

But, since 2005, blogging has gained more attention. It has even affected mainstream journalism, like when blogs helped expose problems with a TV story about President George W. Bush's National Guard Service.

Courts have decided that bloggers should have the same protections as other journalists, as long as they follow the same rules.

Other important tools for online journalism are online forums, discussion boards, and chats. The internet has created places for people from different sides of conflicts to meet and talk. Sometimes this leads to new solutions, but often the internet becomes another "battlefield" for arguments.

Internet radio and podcasts are also growing independent media based on the internet.

Blogs and News

With digital media, there's a shift from traditional journalists to bloggers or amateur journalists. Blogs can be seen as a new type of journalism. They have a more personal way of telling news, moving away from traditional journalism's style. This makes news more like a conversation and less centralized. Blogging has become a big part of sharing news and ideas. Bloggers argue that blogs themselves are now breaking news stories. Even online news publications have blogs written by their journalists.

Blogging lets readers and journalists share their opinions about the news in an open way. Blogs allow comments, which some news outlets don't, because they need to constantly check what is posted. By allowing comments, readers can interact with a story instead of just reading it. A 2007 study found that 15% of people who read blogs read them for news.

However, many blogs share strong opinions and can be biased. Some information on blogs might not be checked to be true. In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made rules saying that bloggers must tell readers if they received free products or services from companies they review. This was to ensure honesty in online reviews.

Blogging communities have grown partly because of a lack of local news, wrong information, and news manipulation. Blogs are often used to share ideas and connect with others who think similarly. People can be anonymous on these platforms, which allows for different viewpoints. Some think that blogs gain trust by using public opinions as facts. Memes are often shared on blogs because they are popular and relate to different groups. Traditional journalism helped create the base for blogs, which are often used to question news reported by mainstream media.

Citizen Journalism

Digital journalism's lack of a traditional "editor" has led to citizen journalism. Early digital advances made research faster, editing easier, and news delivery quicker. The internet has made digital journalism even more impactful. Because the internet is so popular, most people can access it and share their own news. This allows anyone to share something they think is important that happened in their community.

People who are not professional journalists but share news through their blogs or websites are often called citizen journalists. You don't need a special degree to be one. Citizen journalists can publish information that might not be reported otherwise, giving the public more chances to be informed. Some news companies use information from citizen journalists when they can't get to certain situations, like in countries where news is controlled. Anyone can record events and share them online. Non-profit and local digital news sites might have fewer resources than big companies, but digital media lets them have similar websites. Other news outlets can then pick up their stories, helping information reach more people.

For citizen journalism to work well, there need to be citizen editors. Their job is to ask others for accurate information and help users interact. For example, the South Korean online newspaper OhMyNews started by having hundreds of volunteer "citizen reporters" write articles. These articles were then edited by professional journalists.

News Collections and Aggregators

The internet also offers personalized news feeds and aggregators. These combine news from different websites into one place. One of the most popular news aggregators is Google News. Others include Topix.net and TheFreeLibrary.com.

However, some people worry that too much personalization can be bad. For example, they fear that people will only see news that agrees with their existing opinions, limiting their exposure to different viewpoints.

As of March 2005, Wikinews rewrites articles from other news organizations. Creating original reports online is still a challenge. It's hard to check facts and there are legal risks, especially if someone sues for false information. There isn't one clear way to handle these issues across the internet.

See also

• Online newspaper
• Open source journalism
• Wikinews
• Toons Mag
• User-generated content

Sources

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