The format of online news, especially content produced by newspapers and television stations, is continuing to evolve in some unexpected ways. The most recent development is the creation of link journalism, which is when a reporter posts a link within his/her article that leads to another article on the same topic. The purpose of link journalism is to complement and add more context to original reporting.
Going Against the Grain
Link journalism defies conventional wisdom when it comes news organizations posting material on the
web. Logic suggests that news web sites would want to keep viewers attached to their sites because longer-time-spent-viewing could mean more advertising revenue. However, search engines such as Yahoo and Google have proven that sending people away through links actually keeps those people coming back.The Initiators
The Drudge Report set the standard for web sites becoming profitable and influential simply by linking to other news articles, and now mainstream news organizations have followed suite. The Washington Post recently created the Political Browser, a political web site that links to rival sites discussing hot-button political issues. Just last week NBC began adding links to local newspapers and radio stations on the web sites of their local affiliates. The company hopes the sites will tap into their respective communities much deeper and act as a kind of city guide.
The Ultimate Connection
Scott Karp, the editor, publisher, and creator of Publishing 2.0, believes the web is about "connections between content, people, and ideas". Karp insists that newspapers need to fit into this connection by being the filter that doles out the important news on its front page, and links to stories pertaining to the news if the stories can't be found within the paper. I agree with Karp completely and would even further his argument by saying news organizations have an obligation to do just that, and who knows, that obligation could turn out to be a successful business practice as well.
A Linktastic Future
As link journalism becomes more prevalent in the coming months it will be fascinating to hear the reactions of both those visiting the sites that employ link journalism and those responsible for putting up and managing the sites. While some editors may still cling to their belief that it is never good to send your audience elsewhere, it is safe to say a change was needed, and that the possibility of this interconnectedness between various news organizations offers a bevy of opportunities for future online reporting. Who knows, maybe it will even result in less of an emphasis on breaking news and more of a concentration on providing a quality story that others will want to link to. What a concept....
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