Online Journalism For Change

By Author: Herman Willson
Total Articles: 97
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Breaking news has become the bastion of television owing to the nature of the medium. However tuning a television to watch news is passé for the tech savvy 21st century news-seeker. There is a demand for analysis and mere reporting presented through TV reporting is considered insufficient. If today latest news is to be presented to the modern citizen, it should be done as a package comprising news, analysis and opinion.

De-cluttering news

News presentation can feel overwhelming as information overload is inevitable in the present day thanks to innumerable sources that present news. Newspapers, television and the internet are all vying for an individual’s attention. News-seekers are constantly looking for avenues where information is presented in an easily consumable manner. While newspapers have long mastered the art of de-cluttering news, news India websites present information categorized as breaking news, top stories, state news, national and international while also presenting local news under the cities section.

Photo and video integration

Online news can be conveyed through video and text, ...
... a combination advantage that either print or television cannot have. Today latest news can be captured on camera and a detailed news report can be posted to explain the video. This will help a news consumer contextualize an event. A photo essay can be used to narrate top stories of the day by complementing it with text. Where television is only able to present visuals with insufficient airtime to explain all angles, the ability of a newspaper to explain relies on a reporter’s writing. With online news media, the viewer has both text and visual media to understand an issue in completeness.

Bringing change

A news organization reflects demands of its readership or audience. Burning issues like gender equality, attacks on women, elections and international relations are keenly followed. Mere reporting cannot satisfy the change-hungry citizen. Reportage of assault of a young woman in Delhi, resulting in the victim’s death moved the nation. Indian media did not allow the matter to die a silent death. Call for change pushed the government to bring changes in policing, legislation and medical examination of assault victims. An online news portal should clamour for change by instigating public debate on its portal and on social media platforms to grab the attention of policymakers. Video can also be used as it can make activism go viral. A news website would also encourage its subscribers to capture news from India through video and post it on the portal, inculcating citizen journalism.

Author’s Bio:

Author is an expert with many years of corporate experience. He has written many articles for online publication, now he is providing information on the availability of live news and latest news from India.