Like most women, I have a type. Forget tall, dark, and handsome. I'm a short,bright,uncluttered, news-oriented kind of girl. And it's true what they say-once you get involved with online news, you never look back.
I used to read newspapers. Actually, I used to read the comics and calendar section of newspapers. To put it simply, papers weren't satisfying me. I didn't have time to read long and in depth stories. I wanted the important information, and I wanted it fast. Newspapers were too demanding for my taste. They mandated that I devote time and effort to getting all the information, with few graphics and images.
And that is where online news stepped in.
How the Web Wooed Me
I believe I was initially drawn into the world of online news because it was similar in many areas to both print journalism and broadcast journalism. In fact, all three forms of news have quite a few things in common.
- They utilize strong, active verbs
- They cover the who, what, when, where and why aspects of a story
- Subject-verb agreement is key
- Burying the lead is always a bad idea
It is where online news differs from print and broadcast journalism that it truly wins me over.
- Online media has added depth, thanks to links in text and images
- The use of headlines and bold text calls attention to important information immediately
- Bulleted lists make reading easier
- Paragraphs and sentences are just how I like them-short and sweet
- There is no limit to what can be done on the Internet. Fonts, text sizes, images, and formats allow for each website to be different and unique
- The power of images and graphics is huge. There is no maximum amount of pictures that a website can use. Sometimes stories are better told through pictures and video, and the web can do that
Together Forever?
Due to its mass appeal, ease, and accessibility, it doesn't seem that online news is going anywhere. While more and more people continue to leave their newspapers and nightly news programs, the world of online news continues to expand. Luckily I'm not the jealous type, because online news and the features that make it so popular aren't going anywhere.
References:
"Writing for the Web" - Poynter
http://poynteronline.org/content/content_view.asp?id=35378
"How to Write for the Web " - Online Journalism Review
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/Writing/
"Journalism Keys to Web Writing: Broadcast and Journalism Principles Boost Readability"
http://members.aol.com/nancyds/ww.jour.html
No comments:
Post a Comment