| Newspapers of the Future:
Online Newspapers
By Patricia Cooper Introduction to Interactive
Media With decreasing circulation and increasing paper costs, thousands of newspapers across the country are reluctantly looking to the Internet to increase their readership (Katz np). However newspapers are facing new problems on the Information SuperHighway. This paper will discuss the history of online newspapers, the current trends of online newspapers, the advantages and disadvantages of putting a newspaper online, issues with on-line newspapers, and the future of online newspapers. History of Online Newspapers People may think that online newspapers are relatively new, but they’re not. They have been around for a long time. An early attempt was broadcast radio stations sending newspapers to home fax machines for about $50 to $100 in the late 1940s. Other attempts were Videotex (delivering over phone line to home TV sets). Companies like Compuserve offered electronic editions of national newspapers on an experimental basis in the 1980s (Riley et al np), and posted their newspapers on bulletin board services ("Hold On(line) Tight" 4I). But a number of these attempts were abandoned because they were too costly as there were not enough subscribers (Riley et al np). Carol Kopp, senior manager of news and features for Prodigy agrees. "At one time they weren’t interested at all, and may have seen it as a threat" (cited in Cohen 40). As time passed, faster modems were developed and the Internet boomed in 1995. That was also the year that online chat became popular ("Hold On(line) Tight" 4I). As the Internet became popular new breeds of information providers, such as AT&T and Microsoft’s Slate, began providing news while stealing publishers, advertisers and employees away from print newspapers. Newspapers had to get on the on-ramp to the Information SuperHighway. According to American Journalism Review NewsLink, the number of online newspapers rose from a handful to 1,300 in 1996 ("Whose News?" np). In June 1997, it was reported there were 3,622 online newspapers and it was supposed to reach 4,000 by the end of that year (Riley et al np). Coming online could be the best thing newspapers did in 1995. The Oklahoma City bombing proved to be the watershed news event for online newspapers because of the hits to their news sites to get up to the minute information on the bombing. For example Raleigh News & Observer’s online newspaper Nando Times received 415,000 hits on the day of the bombing and received 1.94 million hits during the entire week of the bombing (Cochran 12-13). The event also showed editors that they could move quickly getting information online, competing with TV and radio, but unlike broadcasters they had more content, including an index, a package of articles and photos that could rival broadcaster’s work (Cochran 12-13). Current Trends Most of the larger newspapers have their entire newspaper online. Many have key words highlighted in blue in their stories and these offer links to stories on the same subject (Pogash np). Another thing that larger newspapers are doing is customizing the news to fit each user’s needs and wants. For example, a foreign student from Germany can have news from Germany forwarded to him wherever he is (Cohen 40). But many online experts have agreed that in order for online newspapers to reach the young, college-educated cyber subculture, they have to change their mission, their content, their design and their writing (Lapham np). For years newspapers have been a passive medium. But as they join the interactive medium of the Internet, users want responses from reporters, editors, online staff and departments and they want someone who will respond appropriately. Melinda McAdams, an independent information design consultant, said that e-mail is a great way for the newsroom to get to know the users. ("Lesson 1:" np). But often reporters and editors are leery to respond to users’ e-mail messages because they are slow to recognize that the Internet is interactive and they don’t want to respond to users’ questions about a previous article as they are already working on new articles (Riley et al np) However McAdams suggested that online newspapers should give readers an alternate route to respond to particular articles or columns because not all reporters want to have e-mail. If a popular columnist or reporter is getting too much mail, an assistant can screen it and pass on the interesting messages or encourage the columnist or the reporter to take part in an online discussion where he/she can post a response to a user’s message and everyone can read it. Forums and chat rooms can also help journalists get to know their audience and get ideas for new stories ("Lesson 1:" np). Also with millions of pages of information on the Internet, online newspapers need to continue collecting, filtering, recording and distributing information at many levels and many places around the world (Lapham np). According to journalism experts, there are many so-called journalists, like "Matt Drudge" influencing readers by writing false stories. So creditable journalists need to hold onto their values of truthfulness, trustworthiness, accountability and credibility. But they also need of investigative journalists to look for information that no one wants them to know, in order to educate the reader ("What Journalism Can Bring to the Net" np). In order for online newspapers to improve their content, McAdams advises newspapers to cover something that people can’t get elsewhere, such as a particular industry, sport team, vacation spot or an entire region. McAdams also suggests that instead of putting the whole newspaper online, the publisher should begin by putting a popular section or a new supplement online. Starting small, McAdams said online newspapers are free to completely redesign or fix any problems after the users’ complaints are made. However, McAdams advises that online newspapers should monitor how much use each feature gets. But not every supplement a newspaper puts online has to be big, according to McAdams. Features such as a weekly book review section; a feature that rates local consumer services, such as banks and supermarkets; more in-depth political coverage; a regional live-music calendar; public forums featuring advice from local experts on education, nutrition or gardening; discussion of local issues with other users; or trivia contests on local lore are what users would like to see in online newspapers ("Lesson 2:"np). Online newspapers should not only be an indispensable resource tool, a fact checker and a news prioritizer, but it should be in a way a community encyclopedia ("What the Net Can Bring to Journalism" np). This can increase the probability that they can attract users to their sites and keep them there. Not only do online newspapers have to compete with other newspapers, but also with large news organizations, such as CNN. So a few online newspapers, like the San Jose Mercury News, have begun updating information 24-hours a day instead of a newsroom’s daily deadline (Riley et al np). Advantages of Online Newspapers The first is the news hole. Since it is seamless, there is no need to cut paragraphs or quotes. A story can be as long as it can be, and features, related articles, maps and charts can be linked to it ("Driving a Newspaper On the Data Highway" np). Online newspapers can also add technology that they have never used before, such as full screen photos, videos, forums and polls that users can participate in. George Gilder, contributing editor of Forbes and founder of Forbes ASAP, reviews the bond between the computer and the newspaper: . . . It (computer) opens the way to upgrading the news with full screen photography and video, while hugely enhancing the richness and the timeliness of the news. The computer empowers readers to use the "paper" in the same way they do today – to browse and select stories and advertisements at their own time and place (Lapham np). Online newspapers will attract users if they create a series of sites about the metropolitan region. Then the paper will act as a chamber of commerce (Riley et al np). A disadvantage for online newspapers had been they were not eligible for industry awards, but that is no longer the case. For example under a new policy, the Public Service board will award the best online and electronic project completed in 1998 with a Pulitzer Prize. This new policy came about after two 1997 entries were disqualified, The New York Times special Web and CD-ROM feature, "Bosnia: Uncertain Paths to Peace," and the Charlotte Sun Herald’s online newspaper Sunline’s guide "Our Town Charlotte, an online guide to its south Florida community." John V. Pavlik, executive director of the Center for New Media at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, called the new policy the ". . . beginnings of quality original journalism produced for the online environment" (cited in Noack 4). Disadvantages of Online Newspapers It’s hard for online newspapers to be recognized on the World Wide Web. Unlike print, the online versions have to compete with Web competitors, such as Microsoft and America On-Line, to provide the best news content. For that reason, online newspapers have to be aggressive to be out in front (Riley et al np). The customizing of news to a user’s preferences and searching for something on the online newspaper’s site could jeopardize the privacy of the users. This is because of the use of cookies, which are a small writable text file that are installed on the user’s hard drive that can track his/her site activity (Riley et al np). Another disadvantage is the confusion over the type of news Internet users want. Some users don’t want the traditional type of news. They want journalists to work in the background, highlight a lot of sources and give opposing statements with little or no interpretation. After a user reads through the information that the article has provided, they make up their own conclusions. But other users want their news filtered and summarized, quick and clean ("Ranters, Burrowers and Skimmers" np). Ethical Issues Online newspapers that update their information 24 hours a day are beginning to feel the strain. In a stressful 24 hour environment, it is hard to ensure accuracy and credibility (Riley et al np). So some online newspapers have to rely on The Associated Press and Reuters to cover breaking news. It is inexpensive, but many editors complain that it changes the paper’s online editorial composition. A few larger newspapers have begun to do their own reporting on breaking news, but it costs more and there is the problem of returning breaking news stories on time (Kirsner 18-19). One issue that online newspapers face is the culture of the Internet itself. Unlike newspapers, which are operated as by commercial enterprises, the Internet "is free, it’s egalitarian, decentralized, open and peer-to-peer, autonomous and anarchic" (What the Net Can Bring to Journalism np). This contrast, and the newspaper culture’s dislike of change has left Web critics such as Jon Katz, media writer for Wired magazine, believing that newspapers don’t belong on the Internet at all. In his most noted article "Online or Not, Newspapers Suck," he calls online newspapers unnatural and silly. . . . (they) present unoriginal, outdated information and reflect corporate traditions that emphasize tepid opinion, stuffy writing and middle-of-the-road banality. That’s not what people go online for. Young people, especially like strong point of view, attitude, graphics, in-depth pop culture coverage–all the things that newspapers won’t do. It’s this inability to change and take risks that is the real Achilles’ heal of newspapers (Katz cited in What the Net Can Bring to Journalism np). Katz also states that what makes reading a newspaper, it’s convenience, visual freedom, a sense of priorities, a personal experience, is gone because reading a newspaper online is difficult, cumbersome and time consuming. It is easier to pick up a newspaper, skim through all the headlines, pictures and articles and get a limited idea what is going on in the community and the world. With an online newspaper, a user has to turn on a computer, dial on the Internet provider, search for the newspaper he or she wants and scroll and click through all the articles and photos (Katz np). Now that newspapers have spent thousands of dollars putting their product online (Pogash np), the question that is on editors and publishers’ minds is: where is the money? As stated before, the contrast between the commercialism of a newspaper and culture of the Internet has created a financial problem for online newspapers. Advertisers are afraid to put their product online because there is more competition to deal with. According to Caruso, if and when news incorporate links paid for by corporate clients, credibility will be jeopardize (Caruso 32). Newspapers are also afraid that if their advertisers put their product online, then they may withdraw from their print parent (Ziegler np). However, according to Steve Outing, Editor & Publisher columnist, the amount of advertising dollars is changing over time. Some newspapers have brought in a small amount of money by providing subscriptions (which users don’t like because they don’t want to pay additional money after they have paid for their Internet provider and the amount of free information), charging for access to full content of a newspaper’s service and charging users on a piecemeal basis so they can buy a single story, search it’s archives and pay per article downloaded ("Where’s the Money? 7I). One newspaper that was in a study began a new service where advertisers pay for space, form and placement for their ads on the screen. In this new service, the user is more likely to see a greater number of ads and increase the chance that an ad is clicked on to another site during the reader’s visit to the site. A few of the most popular ways to increase ad exposure and time spent on the online newspaper site is to use contests, games and activities that can only be accessed by clicking on an ad icon (Riley et al np). However, until advertisers and online newspapers calm their fears about the Internet and see that it is a valuable place to be, these strategies mentioned above may be the best way that online newspaper can survive for now ("Where’s the Money? 34I). Future of Online Newspapers Online newspapers will have a promising future if they provide to provide unique content, editorials and quality work (Pavlik 36). An example of that promising future was demonstrated by the Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link became the first online service to offer self-publishing on the Web (Lapham np). The next stage for online newspapers is already occurring. A few newspapers have begun providing content about the World Wide Web. Others are planning to revise their online newspaper and experiment with new forms of writing, such as "immersive writing." Immersive writing will allow users to enter and travel through a news report in different ways with the possible use of new technology. According to CyberTimes editor Rob Fixmer, The New York Times is experimenting with omni-directional imaging, which will permit users to search a 360-degree field of vision. Technology like that will allow users to "enter" a live or recorded news event or see a still or moving photo in three dimensions (Pavlik 36). A few newspapers have begun providing a service filled with features and online services. The Arizona Daily Star’s online newspaper StarNet features Internet access, news from the paper edition, local discussion groups and access to the paper’s archives. It will also give small non-profit organizations space on their service to publish local newsletters. According to Chris Lapham, online newspaper consultant, this could be a key component for future online newspapers (Lapham np). Conclusion Online newspapers have come a long way since they were first sent to home fax machines, but they still have a long way to go and obstacles to overcome in order to attract the young and hard to impress cyber culture. Online newspapers must provide high quality, unique content and find their niche on the Internet. That spot could range from a hand-held tablet or sending customized information to users. If online editors and publishers change their commitment to have quality online news and get users involved, then online news newspapers will be on the Internet for many years to come.
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