The Internet has given a new dimension to journalism. It has made journalism more immediate, interactive and searchable. It has also widened the gap between print journalism and web journalism in reach, accessibility and content formats.
There are 12 clear differences that have opened up between print journalism and web journalism. These differences are:
# Difference 1
Instant nature: Web journalism is instant. The news report must be published as soon as the event happens. This is in sharp contrast to print journalism where the deadlines are relatively easier. A newspaper reporter is under no pressure to file a report instantly unless the newsbreak occurs close to print deadline. The report of a morning event can be filed in the evening, and will still find a place in the newspaper.
# Difference 2
Frequency of updation: The newspaper reporters and editors work towards preparing one final copy for print. All facts are therefore collected and compiled for this one, single event every day. If a development occurs past the print deadline then that development has to wait for the next day. It cannot be incorporated in the day’s final copy unless it is big enough to warrant the stopping of presses. In contrast, a media site hosts a developing story as it unfolds. This involves constant updation, sometimes three to four times an hour, depending upon the nature of the story.
# Difference 3
Packaging: The newspaper breaks a big story into several smaller stories, each covering a different angle or aspect, and runs them on a single page. The related photographs and graphics also appear on the same page enabling the reader to learn everything about the story at one point. The media site hyperlinks all related stories. This enables the online editor to break a story into several smaller text stories and host them separately; and since all stories are hyperlinked the user can click on the headlines of his interest and read those stories.
The story in not only told in the text format. Hyperlinks are provided to view the story as an audio-visual file or as a podcast. A slide show can also be provided. This makes web journalism more versatile.
# Difference 4
Device-specific: A newspaper is a physical product with a fixed format and a clear identity. A media site is not a physical product. It is also not device specific. The news report has to be prepared for being accessed on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Each device is different, and this makes creating news reports for different devices more challenging.
# Difference 5
Interactive: Web journalism does more than tell a story. It draws the reader into the story by providing tools by which readers can add to the story. The same is not true of Print Journalism. The reader involvement is limited. Also, it is not connected to the story. At best, the reader contribution may find a place in the Letters column the next day.
# Difference 6
Knowledge links: The newspaper cannot provide information beyond what is printed in the day’s edition. A media site can hyperlink the story to backgrounders run on specialist sites or to related news stories run on other websites. It can also provide hyperlinks to archived reports on the same subject, enhancing user experience.
# Difference 7
Search engine requirements: Web reports are created for two masters. The first is the human master who has to consume the report. For this, the report should be readable and of interest to the human masters. The second is the search engine which has to index the report and enable web users to find the reports. For this, the report has to be searchable. In the case of print there is only one master – the human being. The stress therefore is to write reports that can be easily understood by the human readers.
# Difference 8
Target audience: The newspaper is published for an audience that resides around the place of publication. This limits the reach of the newspaper. It can be sold within the city or in immediate surrounding cities. It cannot be sent to distant places or to other countries. The web report can be accessed by readers globally. All that they need is an Internet connection and a device on which the news report can be read.
# Difference 9
Time, City and Date: A newspaper traditional used a dateline to indicate the place from where the news report originated and the date on which it was written. Today, some newspapers also include the reporter’s name in the dateline. In contrast, web reports use a time stamp. This is the time when the report was published on the net. The time is precise. It mentions the time in hours, minutes and seconds, time zone, publication date and year. Several news sites also mention the time when a news report is updated. They also include the name of the city and the reporter’s name also.
# Difference 10
Personalisation: A newspaper is a single product. It has to be read from the front page to the last. Of course, the reader has the option to turn to specific pages of their interest. But the newspaper is published as a single entity. There is no personalisation. In contrast, web readers can indicate their interests, and the programme will deliver reports from the sectors identified by the web readers. Algorithms running in the background track the stories downloaded by readers and push similar stories. Readers therefore get to read stories that match their interests.
# Difference 11
Story analytics: The circulation of a newspaper is based on the number of copies that are sold. There is no way to estimate which story was read most or which story was not read at all. In contrast, web analytics provide detailed information. They give you the number of times a story has been downloaded, the time spent by readers on a story, the cites or countries from where they arrived and much more. Editors can then make an informed decision as to what kind of reports are being liked by their readers and advise their reporters accordingly.
# Difference 12
Archiving: Newspapers are bound in neat files and stored in libraries month-wise. A reader has to visit the newspaper library to access a newspaper of a particular date. The other challenge for media houses is to prevent the decay of newspapers. The newspapers are printed on newsprint which is affected by temperature changes, dust or moisture in the air. With the passage of years, newsprint turns yellow and brittle and can crack when a researcher turns the newspaper pages. There is no such challenge in the case of web. All news reports are archived and are searchable. They can be can be accessed by readers from any part of the world on their laptops or mobile phones.
(Editors’ Note: This report was first published in 2013 and has been updated.)
Read: 8 key advantages web journalism has over print