Writing news content for Cyber Media
Cyber Media
Syllabus
1: What is Cyber Space?
Cyberspace is interconnected technology. The term entered the popular culture
from science fiction and the arts but is now used by technology strategists,
security professionals, government, military and industry leaders and
entrepreneurs to describe the domain of the global technology environment.
Others consider cyberspace to be just a notional environment in which
communication over computer networks occurs. The word became popular in the
1990s when the uses of the Internet, networking, and digital communication were
all growing dramatically and the term "cyberspace" was able to represent the
many new ideas and phenomena that were emerging. It has been called the
largest unregulated and uncontrolled domain in the history of mankind,[3] and is
also unique because it is a domain created by people vice the traditional physical
domains.
The parent term of cyberspace is "cybernetics", derived from the Ancient
Greek κυβερνήτης (kybernētēs, steersman, governor, pilot, or rudder), a word
introduced by Norbert Wiener for his pioneering work in electronic
communication and control science. This word first appeared in the short story
"Burning Chrome" by William Gibson (Omni, July 1982).
As a social experience, individuals can interact, exchange ideas, share
information, provide social support, conduct business, direct actions, create
artistic media, play games, engage in political discussion, and so on, using this
global network. They are sometimes referred to as cybernauts. The
termcyberspace has become a conventional means to describe anything
associated with the Internet and the diverse Internet culture. The United States
government recognizes the interconnected information technology and the
interdependent network of information technology infrastructures operating
across this medium as part of the US national critical infrastructure. Amongst
individuals on cyberspace, there is believed to be a code of shared rules and
ethics mutually beneficial for all to follow, referred to as cyberethics. Many view
the right to privacy as most important to a functional code of cyberethics. Such
moral responsibilities go hand in hand when working online with global networks,
specifically, when opinions are involved with online social experiences.
According to Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer, cyberspace is defined
more by the social interactions involved rather than its technical
implementation.[6] In their view, the computational medium in cyberspace is an
augmentation of the communication channel between real people; the core
characteristic of cyberspace is that it offers an environment that consists of many
participants with the ability to affect and influence each other. They derive this
concept from the observation that people seek richness, complexity, and depth
within a virtual world.
What is Information Super Highway?
The information superhighway or infobahn was a popular term used through
the 1990s to refer to digital communication systems and
the Internet telecommunications network. It is associated with United States
Senator and later Vice-President Al Gore.
There are a number of definitions of this term. Wired Style: Principles of English
Usage in the Digital Age defines the term as "the whole digital enchilada -
interactive, cable, broadband, 500-channel [...] then-Senator Al Gore Jr.
introduced it at a 1978 meeting of computer industry folk, in homage to his father,
Senator Albert Gore Sr." (71).
The McGraw-Hill Computer Desktop Encyclopedia defines the term as "a
proposed high-speed communications system that was touted by the
Clinton/Gore administration to enhance education in America in the 21st Century.
Its purpose was to help all citizens regardless of their income level. The Internet
was originally cited as a model for this superhighway; however, with the
explosion of the World Wide Web, the Internet became the information
superhighway" (464).
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines the term as "a route or network for
the high-speed transfer of information; esp. (a) a proposed national fiber-optic
network in the United States; (b) the Internet." The OED also cites usage of this
term in three periodicals:
the January 3, 1983 issue of Newsweek: "...information superhighways
being built of fiber-optic cable will link Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and
Washington, D. C. in a 776-mile system on the East Coast."
the December 19, 1991 issue of the Christian Science Monitor: "Senator
Gore calls NREN the "information superhighway" - a catalyst for what he
hopes will become one day a national fiber-optic network."
the October 26, 1993 issue of the New York Times: "One of the
technologies Vice President Al Gore is pushing is the information
superhighway, which will link everyone at home or office to everything else—
movies and television shows, shopping services, electronic mail and huge
collections of data."
The working paper No.179, 1994, of the Center for Coordination Science
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology describes the concept as follows: "The
information superhighway directly connects millions of people, each both a
consumer of information and a potential provider. (...) Most predictions about
commercial opportunities on the information superhighway focus on the provision
of information products, such as video on demand, and on new sales outlets for
physical products, as with home shopping. (...) The information superhighway
brings together millions of individuals who could exchange information with one
another. Any conception of a traditional market for making beneficial exchanges,
such as an agricultural market or trading pit, or any system where individuals
respond to posted prices on a computer screen is woefully inadequate for the
extremely large number of often complex trades that will be required."
2: Internet and Information Revolution
Internet is referred to as the first technology that achieved a global scope. Now,
there are zillions of web pages on Internet with lots of information, almost on
anything. There are no restrictions to access general information on internet.
The evolution of search engines has made the ease of accessing the information
online at finger tips.
Internet and the Information age
The age before Information was called the Industrial age where people had to
face scarcity of information and time lag to access the available information.
Today, Internet has evolved to be a crucial medium in distributing and accessing
the relevant information within no time. Internet is also the fastest growing media
that has the capability to impact the social, technological, economical and
political activities of people, all over the world. This can be compared with the
Information revolution brought by the invention of printing press.
Accessibility of information at any time
In this information age, the competition among businesses has grown incredibly
all around the world in all kind of industries. It is unaffordable for any competent
business to succumb to information limitations, in order to sustain in the
competitive environment. Control of the availability of the information is no longer
confined to the few people. People are free to communicate, work and access
information round the clock from anywhere in the world. It is through Internet that
the communications have grown incredibly and leveraged outsourcing of services
to such a big extent.
Information for decision making
For any Information-age organization, it is the information that is going to help to
sustain the competition. The success of any organization in the information age
relies with the speed and accuracy of gaining relevant information and making
effective decisions based on it. No other medium is as effective or reliable as
Internet for such purposes. There is a vast amount of information available on
internet on any field, which can be collected, analyzed, and then used for
effective decision making.
Indeed, the internet has become an indispensable tool in the part and parcel of
people’s lives, as it gained influence in information distribution. The role of the
internet as a useful, practical, and even essential, information tool by other forms
of media is increasing and is a clear example of the information era powered by
Internet.
3: Fundamentals of Cyber Media
On-line or Cyber Journalism To get ‘online’, meaning to connect to the Internet,
you need to have: A Computer: Computer equipment is a sizeable investment
and thus you should select a computer carefully. Before buying a computer,
understand your needs and then choose one accordingly. See that it comes with
a warranty and that after sales service is available in case you need it. Internet
Service Provider: This is the software that you will require to get online. You can
now choose from a dial-up service or 24-hour broadband services. This is the
service that will help you to connect to the Internet and start your surfing
experiences. The World Wide Web has spawned the newest medium for
journalism, on-line or Cyber journalism. The speed at which news can be
disseminated on the web, and the profound penetration to anyone with a
computer and web browser, have greatly increased the quantity and variety of
news reports available to the average web user. The bulk of on-line journalism
has been the extension of existing print and broadcast media into the web via
web versions of their primary products. News reports that were set to be released
at expected times can now be published as soon as they are written and edited,
increasing the deadline pressure and fear of being scooped which many
journalists must deal with. The digitalization of news production and the diffusion
capabilities of the internet are challenging the traditional journalistic professional
culture. The concept of participatory or citizen journalism p roposes that amateur
reporters can actually produce their own stories either inside or outside
professional media outlets. Most news websites are free to their users, except
some websites, for which a subscription is required to view its contents. But
some outlets, such as the New York Times website, offer current news free, but
archived reports and access to opinion columnists and other non-news sections
for a periodic fee. Many newspapers are branching into new mediums because
of the Internet. Their websites may now include video, podcasts, blogs and slideshows. Story chat, where readers may post comments on an article, has
changed the dialogue newspapers foster. Traditionally kept to the confines of the
opinion section as letters to the editor, story chat has allowed readers to express
opinions without the time delay of a letter or the approval of an editor. The growth
of blogs as a source of news and especially opinion on the news has changed
journalism forever. Blogs now can create news as well as report it, and blur the
dividing line between news and opinion. The debate about whether blogging is
really journalism rages on. Cyber journalism is a term coined after the merging of
various traditional media brought about by the proliferation of media industries
due to current influx of new technology and globalization. Cyber journalism made
possible by the Internet technology has gained importance and is functioning as
a pervasive medium along with the traditional media such as print and electronic.
However, cyber journalism has created a big vacuum in journalism education and
training since it is a recent development in journalism and journalism educators
are caught unprepared. While journalism educators are well groomed and
prepared towards the epistemology of journalism education, and well aware of
the demands of professionalism in the real world, the emergence of cyber
journalism has brought new challenges to schools offering journalism courses.
Journalism educators have to strike a balance between the demands of new
journalism knowledge and professionalism. Furthermore with the onset of new
technologies, the definition of cyber journalist has gone beyond the realm of
journalistic education. Anybody who is techno-savvy can be a cyber journalist.
Hence, questions of professionalism, responsibility and credibility have now
become an epitome of cyber journalism.
Comparison of Cyber Media with Print, TV, Radio mediums.
Internet impacts on print media health With the spectacular advances of digital
technology shaking the world, the general impression is that the three-century
reign of newspapers and magazines is on the decline, further fuelling a debate
on the future of print media, an industry that has taken too long to adjust to the
new trends of the information age. The first casualties of this media earthquake
can be found in the US, where thousands of newsprint jobs are being phased
out. According to Agence France Presse AFP), Challenger, Gray a nd Christmas
- a New York-based global outplacement that tracks job cuts - reported that 17
809 media jobs were eliminated in 2006 alone, an increase of 88% compared to
2005 when 9453 jobs were announced. These media organizations will continue
to make adjustments as their focus shifts from print to electronic, Until they can
figure out a way to make as much money from their online services as they are
losing from their print side, it is going to be an uphill battle. Internet-mad people
around the world are making a cheap meal out of newspapers and magazines,
getting anything from breaking news to dating, shopping, advertising and betting
online in the comfort of their offices and homes. A study indicates that 50 million
of Americans log on the Internet daily to check for news. Only a mere 17% said
they get their regular news from newspaper. The Internet has nowadays become
a powerful media tool to such an extent that many repressive governments such
as China and Iran - to name only a couple - have tightened the control of the net.
In some countries, state spies strictly monitor Internet cafés, and any 'harmful
and illegal use' is met with the 'full might of the law'. But while some media
experts acknowledge that things are changing, they warn about digging an early
grave for print media, saying that this power shift should be treated with caution.
Despite the rise of Internet media, globally the number of newspapers has
increased remarkably, especially in the Third World. This is partly because there
are some developing countries - like South Africa - where the market is still
growing, and partly because papers are becoming niche, more titles are serving
small, more select audiences. What this points to is that is not so much that
newspapers will disappear but they will change radically. Newspapers groups,
which can adapt and add value, which are dynamic and flexible, will do well.
Nevertheless, unlike the US and other developed nations, most print media jobs
in Africa are safe, for now, partly because the continent just does not have the
resources to upgrade its technological capacities now and then. Also, due to
poverty, lack of computers and energy and technological illiteracy in many
villages and townships, many people only rely on newspapers and radio to get
news. European consumers are now spending more time online than reading
newspapers and magazines, according to a new study. It's a worldwide
phenomenon that online media is overtaking print media. In almost all advanced
countries excepting India and China, for their own socioeconomic reasons, online
media is taking edge over print in various fields including news and information.
Online has beaten print medium even in consumer ad market. When searching
for a new device, less than 25 percent of the families read any of the pile of ads
that swamps our letterboxes on weekends, whereas more than 70 percent of the
homes visit both the Internet and physical shops for inspiration. Editorials such
as product tests and evaluations are an important source for information and
advice, together with one's closest family. At any phase throughout the decision
and buying process, printed advertisements are regarded as the least important
source. Printing gained major prominence and acceptance after World War II
when a whole lot of stimulated minds put their thoughts and ideas into print and
that sort of revolutionized the print industry. Production of newspapers, novels
and books boomed and since then, there has been no looking back for the print
industry. Online text readership is expanding phenomenally. There are billions of
web pages for approximately one billion users online and the number is growing
by the day. Search engines, niche portals, online shops, emails, messengers
have made the world a much, much smaller place and it is just a matter of time
before most businesses go online. This online revolution is much bigger and
faster than the print revolution and, by the looks of it, the print media will be in for
a whole lot of trouble if they do not adapt to the changing scenario. Costs: Online
publishing costs are incomparably lower than printing costs labor, machinery,
paper, color, distribution, etc. and, with newer technologies and faster processors
flooding the markets, the online machine publishing blogs, forums, etc. costs will
keep going down, while the “human” costs may remain the same or become
lower than similar costs incurred by the print media. For example, a printing unit
will need several technicians to produce a newspaper and organize it for
distribution. Comparatively, an online publishing unit does not need even 1% of
the workforce that a print unit requires. Distribution: Online distribution is literally
free. Once a publisher has rented a server space, then all he needs is a
programmer and designer to upload his content. There are no printing costs
involved, no paper is used, no print run is needed, and no ink is required. But
there are publicity costs involved – the online publisher has to promote his
website to get people to read his content. Online marketing is done by registering
the site with various search engines and then by optimizing the site using search
engine optimization SEO techniques. Normally, a publisher should appoint a web
development company to market and promote his site online and this entails a
cost. Where newspapers are concerned, they too pay a certain commission to
their distributors or they have to set up a separate distribution department.
Editing: Editing is very easy when it comes to online publishing. Once a mistake
is noticed, a correction can be easily made within minutes. The print media offers
no such luxuries. Of course, online media is not error-free – publishers should
take care to see that there are no broken links, badly programmed pages, etc.
However, corrections can be made in online documents, but for a printed
document once a document is printed then correcting it is impossible – you would
need to reprint. Time: Print publishing is a time-consuming affair, whereas online
publishing is fast, instant and depends on the publisher’s web development team.
News can be uploaded in online media immediately as it breaks – there are no
“publishing” delays. Audience Preferences: People are used to the printed word
and it is going to take time for them to make online media a “habit”. But experts
and futurists feel that this will surely happen and it’s just a matter of time before
online media overtakes the print media. Ask yourself this question: What was the
usage of landlines before mobile technology invaded the market? The answer is
there right in your mind – the question is whether realization has struck you yet!
Profits: As of now, print publishing makes a hell of a lot of money than online
publishing. Again, this is because of people’s habits, and as we have discussed
above, habits will change eventually. But, again, experts feel that all this will
change – good sites with news are already attracting hordes of advertisements,
specially targeting the yuppie and middle-age groups, and many niche content
sites have a subscription model going for them. Given the rapidly expanding
Internet audience, it is just a matter of time before massive profits start rolling in
for the online publishers. In the end, assuming you have great content, you must
go online if: i You are sure about making money out of it; ii you have adequate
working capital; iiiYou are backed by an experienced, cutting -edge and
consistent web development team. If you meet these conditions, then you are
certain to make a living out of online media – something that you may not be able
to do if you work with the print medium. Online media, also called new media,
provides unique and new opportunities that have yet to be fully explored. A
publisher who perseveres will discover the real potential of publishing online like
no other. 1.6. Internet v/s TV A new IBM online survey of consumer digital media
and entertainment habits shows audiences are more in control than ever and
increasingly savvy about filtering marketing messages. The global findings
overwhelmingly suggest personal Internet time rivals TV time. Among consumer
respondents, 19 percent stated spending six hours or more per day on personal
Internet usage, versus nine percent of respondents who reported the same levels
of TV viewing. Audiences have more control and are increasingly savvier about
filtering marketing messages, with serious repercussions for marketers, ad
agencies, broadcasters, publishers and cable companies. Consumers are
seeking consolidated, trustworthy content, recognition and community in mobile
and internet entertainment - and to effectively respond to the shift advertising
agencies must go beyond traditional creative roles to become brokers of
consumer insights; cable companies must evolve to home media portals; and
broadcasters and publishers must raced toward new media format. Marketers, in
turn, are being forced to experiment and make advertising more compelling. TV
and the Internet are now essentially on an equal footing as entertainment
sources, with consumers turning to online destinations like YouTube, MySpace,
Facebook, games, or mobile entertainment. In one corner of the arena, we have
the traditional media power, Television. In the other corner of the arena, we have
the newcomer, Internet. Who is going to be the winner for the hearts and minds
of the people? At the present, the landscape for this battle is asymmetrical. While
most households have access to television, only a minority has access to the
Internet. As a whole, the Internet users are younger than the general population.
In addition, they are more likely to be male than female. While the Internet has
not surpassed television yet, the key indicator is that the highest preference for
the Internet comes from younger people. This younger generation will be brought
up in an Internet-enriched environment, and they will carry their habits and
attitudes in the future years. While the penetration of the Internet is still low, we
must remember that this medium has much more network externalities than
broadcast media that is to say, the utility of the Internet increases for all users
when more people use it due to the nature of technologies such as electronic
mail, personal websites, bulletin boards, chat rooms, electronic commerce,
corporate communication, etc). So one can optimistically feel that time is on the
side of the Internet.
4: Advantages & Disadvantages of Cyber Journalism
Advantages of an online system Even the world's largest companies are now outsourcing their IT systems and support, despite having millions of pounds
available to run them in-house. An online system gives you the freedom to focus
on your key result areas such as; increasing the number of viewings, sales and
rentals per branch, farming for valuations, good customer services, financial
services leads, staff training and marketing. Your time can be spent increasing
your market share instead of having
to worry about a complex IT system. Would you choose to have your valuable
data held on an expensive in-house server or held on a high special server in a
secure environment, monitored by trained professionals? The Advantages &
Disadvantages of the Internet: The Internet or the World Wide Web is indeed a
wonderful and amazing addition in our lives. The Internet can be known as a kind
of global meeting place where people from all parts of the world can come
together. It is a service available on the computer, through which everything
under the sun is now at the fingertips of anyone who has access to the Internet.
Advantages of the Internet The Internet provides opportunities galore, and can
be used for a variety of things. Some of the things that you can do via the
Internet are: E-mail: E-mail is an online correspondence system. With e-mail you
can send and receive instant electronic messages, which work like writing
letters. Your messages are delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world,
unlike traditional mail that takes a lot of time. Access Information: The Internet is
a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under
the sun is available on the Internet. The ‘search engines’ on the Internet can help
you to find data on any subject that you need. Shopping: Along with getting
information on the Internet, you can also shop online. There are many online
stores and sites that can be used to look for products as well as buy them using
your credit card. You do not need to leave your house and can do all your
shopping from the convenience of your home. Online Chat: There are many
‘chat rooms’ on the web that can be accessed to meet new people, make new
friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends. Downloading Software: This
is one of the most happening and fun things to do via the Internet. You can
download innumerable, games, music, videos, movies, and a host of other
entertainment software from the Internet, most of which are free.
Disadvantages of the Internet There are certain cons and dangers relating to the
use of Internet that can be summarized as: Personal Information: If you use the
Internet, your personal information such as your name, address, etc. can be
accessed by other people. If you use a credit card to shop online, then your
credit card information can also be ‘stolen’ which could be akin to giving
someone a blank check. Pornography: This is a very serious issue concerning
the Internet, especially when it comes to young children. There are thousands of
pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found and can be a
detriment to letting children use the Internet. Spamming: This refers to sending
unsolicited e-mails in bulk, which serve no purpose and unnecessarily clog up
the entire system. If you come across any illegal activity on the Internet, such as
child pornography or even spammers, then you should report these people and
their activities so that they can be controlled and other people deterred from
carrying them out. Child pornography can be reported to: Your Internet service
provider Local police station Cyber Angels program to report cyber crime)
Such illegal activities are frustrating for all Internet users, and so instead of just
ignoring it, we should make an effort to try and stop these activities so that using
the Internet can become that much safer. That said, the advantages of the
Internet far outweigh the disadvantages, and millions of people each day benefit
from using the Internet for work and for pleasure
5: Writing for Web Media Basic rules Do's & Don'ts
We all use the Web more than we did a few years ago, and we are going to
depend on it more in the future. From a journalistic standpoint, such a move in
web use signals a change in how journalists work and get us information. The
most significant change will be the equation of the relationship between reporter
and audience. It is changing! There will be more immediate communication
among reporters and readers, and the readers will be able to participate in
stories in a more direct way. 2.1. Basic rules for writing News stories The web is
more flexible than other forms of journalism. It uses words, pictures, audio, video,
and graphics. A web journalist needs some knowledge in all of these areas to
reach maximum effectiveness. The web is more immediate. There is no lag time
in how quickly a story can be posted. It can be done immediately. In fact, the
most successful web sites aggressively update their pages as a marketing tool. If
consumers can always get news instantly on the web, why should they wait for a
newspaper or magazine, not that these forms don’t have their strengths? Finally,
the web is permanent. Once a story regardless of length lands there, huge files
can be saved forever in a variety of digital ways, so our access to archival
information will expand exponentially over time. One adaptation in web
journalism, involves the classic inverted pyramid approach to writing news
stories. This approach also works on the web, but there is the possibility of
layering stories and creating hypertexts with links to numerous sources on the
web. More detail can be added to portions of the story that follow the beginning,
and links can be added throughout the text. Readers do not necessarily have to
approach a story in a linear fashion. Their approach can be multi- directional,
multi-layered. Given this possibility, writers have a great deal of new
responsibility and control over determining how people access stories. Another
example of an adaptation necessary on the web regards the concept of a
summary. Summaries have been around in one form or another forever;
however, summaries are very important in web journalism. Instead of a typical
lead paragraph, which tries to hook readers with the most interesting idea in the
story, a summary paragraph identifies the key concepts and focus of a story.
Readers can then decide whether or not they want to access the whole story
6: Writing News stories
Writing News stories for the web only area of web journalism and involves the
new skills facing editors. Web site editors need to examine not only the quality
and precision of the writing but also the number and kind of links writers are
using. The editor needs to play a more pivotal role in deciding which links should
stay, or which ones should be eliminated. This is a new task for editors. Further,
given that more stories on the web will have the possibility of input from
information from variety of sources and geographic locations, more stories will be
written in teams, and editors will need to manage this process on-line, as
opposed to managing it face to face. Finally, editors will be the people who pay
most attention to the tone and style of the web site, and this task will require a
wide knowledge of things other than words alone. Maximum access to
information does not negate the necessity of someone processing this
information for readers, giving readers a sense of how it all makes sense and
how readers might access the information. This search engine needs to be a
human being, not a computer program. Also, all of this new “stuff” does not
ultimately change the nature of the job of. Being a journalist, this is to get readers
information, the story. Finally, the biggest is the new equation between readers
and writers. No one knows for sure, and the answer to this question will
determine what web journalism and all journalism will be in the future.
7: Features & Articles on the Web,
Writing effective text for the Web is more than just stringing words together and
hoping for the best. It goes beyond just conveying information. If you really want
to capture the interest and engagement of your users and members, the text
needs to do much more. Ideally, you want your writing to: Attract their attention
Grab their interest Pull them into the content Add real value to their work
Make then want to register or return, and Increase their sense of trust in your
community. These considerations apply whether you're writing an editorial, news
item, announcement, feature article, or forum posting. Scan ability/Readability
Skimming instead of reading is a fact of the Web and has been confirmed by
countless usability studies. Web writers have to acknowledge this fact and write
for scan ability. Structure articles with two or even three levels of headlines.
Nested headings also facilitate access for blind users with screen readers. Use
meaningful rather than "cute" headings. Brevity Be brief and to the point. Web
users are looking for solid, helpful information and/or advice on well-targeted
topics. Most of what they need to know about the topic can be concisely covered
in the web equivalent of two or three printed pages. In fact, much can be covered
in just one focused page. Information The information must be organized well to
ensure ease of navigation and usability. Remember to view your site from your
visitors’ perspective. Highlight the information which your visitors would find
interesting and not that which you consider important. Group similar batches of
information together, and keep the navigation consistent throughout the site. Do
not build a menu with countless choices on your site. This would bewilder and
confuse the visitors and they would leave without exploring further. Title Start
with a punchy, attention-grabbing Title. 'Latest insights from our Euro
correspondent' is much more attractive than 'Minor changes in the monetary and
fiscal systems'. Don't use capitals in the title of your article. In general keep the
use of capitals to a minimum as it's not considered good internet etiquette TO
SHOUT Don't change the colour of your titles Keep titles as short and as
snappy as possible Abstract & Synopsis A good abstract and/or synopsis will
encourage people to read your article, but try not to make it too long as it can
make your page look strange, and can reduce the number of articles appearing
on second page. It's usually best to write a special short summary that gives
overview of the article for the synopsis field. Also watch out for extra spaces at
the end of your summary, as this will add extra white space to your index page. A
long synopsis will reduce the number of articles that are displayed on your index
page, and it should only be an overview of the article to encourage people to
click on the link and read on. If you do not enter a synopsis then the default text
displayed will be the first few lines of text of your articles, which looks messy. 2.4.
Preparing the full article Writing the Body Text the first paragraph should always
contain the key points. Don't bother with any lengthy preamble. Web readers
want the information directly. In particular, they don't want to have to scroll down
the page. Any content which requires scrolling is called "below the fold" it's a
newspaper term to describe the lower half, and will probably never be seen by
80% of your readers. So get the core information into the first paragraph. The
second and third paragraphs might contain supporting information. Again, to help
readers grasp this quickly; you should consider using bullet points and lists. Put
any longer explanation or background briefing towards the end, so that people
can find it if they really want it. Embedding links Embedding links is always a
good way to refer or to outsource additional information. Consider the following
when using embedded links: Do not place long link addresses directly within the
text. It forces the page out of alignment, and will break it. Instead link a single
word as click to the targeted address. Do NOT overload your text with links
Paragraphs In the body of your story try and keep paragraphs quite short. A large
block of text on a page can be hard to read so don't be afraid to break it up into
smaller pieces to make it more readable. 2.5. Means of attractiveness Text alone
is a relatively boring medium for presenting your information. There are many
simple tricks and means, which engage the reader with your content: Don't play
with the colour of your edits or in articles. From a usability perspective a title is a
link and it is best to keep them the same colour site wide A colour scheme for a
Web site usually consists of one or two principal or foundation colours and an
accent colour or two. Avoid using colour as a visual cue. However, if you need to
use colour as a visual cue, make sure that you have provided adequate alternate
cues Design your site initially in black and white, adding colour only to the final
design. This is not only helpful in designing a user-friendly site for colour blind
users but is always an excellent and effective design technique Add a
photograph, perhaps of a speaker, building, or book relevant to your story. If an
author of a story has a who's who record then by using the who's who link it will
automatically cross reference the story to their record. You can find out if they
have a record by clicking on 'Select Who's Who' entry and doing a search on
their last name. Where you can cross reference articles to Who's who records.
This is a great piece of community functionality which we should use as much as
possible Make sure there is strong contrast between the background and
foreground text or graphics 2.6. Effective web copy Since your Web site is the
first impression many people will get of your company, you need to give serious
thought to its content. Having well-written, incisive, compelling content can mean
the difference between making and losing a sale. Here are some tips for writing
great copy for your Web site. Make it compelling. Copy should first and foremost
hold your readers' interest. Boring copy or lengthy descriptions of your products
can overwhelm your readers and actually turn away potential customers.
Think like a customer. When you are writing descriptions of your products, try to
ask yourself these questions: What challenges are they facing? How can your
products make their lives easier? For example, if you are selling a software
product that automates everyday tasks, position this in terms of the benefit to the
user. Rather than highlighting the "task automation" aspect, talk about how much
time it can save. Task automation is abstract and vaguely technical, but everyone
understands time-saving. Make sure all your copy points out the benefits of your
products or services. Create a jargon-free zone. Using jargon, whether it's
technical talk or industry buzzwords, can alienate people. You don't need to
impress them with your technical mastery. Just give them the facts in plain
English. Avoid imposing blocks of text. When Web surfers see a lot of copy, they
can get
overwhelmed. That doesn't mean you can't provide the information; just be
careful how you present it. Use frequent paragraph breaks and bulleted lists, and
spread information across several pages rather than putting it all on a single
page.
Proof read. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and a first
impression rife with spelling and punctuation errors is not a good one. Users are
much more likely to put their faith in you if you present a professional image. And
that extends to the copy on your Web site.
In regard to technological limitations, we can mention non-receipt of messages,
disjointed contributions, and the temporary nature of individual participation and
online groups. In regard to missing cues, we can list sensory cues that are
present in face-to-face and not online, such as speed, loudness and pitch,
appearance and facial expressions. Internet interviewing is a way of interviewing
where respondents access the interview through the Internet with a click on the
web address link of the interview. Web interviews, accessible through the
Internet, are made in a programme for preparing web interviews. The programme
enables us to include not only questions but also pictures, audio and videotapes,
links to web pages. The next step is a publication of interview on the web and
informing potential respondents that they can participate. There can be several
ways to inform respondents and the choice depends above all on the goals of
research and on the target group. Internet interviewing by e-mail In interviewing
by e-mail, we send link and invitation to a web interview via email to the
respondents who have agreed to participate in such interviews and who have
trusted us with their e-addresses and demographic information. This way of
interviewing is usually the most appropriate because it ensures a permanent
sample which enables us to almost precisely foresee responsively and structure.
Why Online Interviews? Today's organizations are struggling with improving
employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity. Employee turnover and
workplace litigation are concerns for all organizations. An average company with
5000 employees spends huge money per year on employee turnover. As
companies struggle to understand what motivates today's work force, they often
end up implementing solutions without understanding the problems. In the past,
understanding these issues meant hiring expensive consultants or conducting
costly surveys that sometimes created more problems than they helped solve.
Online Recruiting Interviews determine appropriate skills, experience, and
character of applicants. Discover the amount of time you can save by allowing
your applicants and employees to take self-service online interviews. Whether it's
Recruiting Interviews, employee Exit Interviews, or Internal Job Posting
Interviews, online interviewing frees up HR's staff time. Reports are generated at
the push of a button, so HR staff and senior management can spend more time
analyzing and solving problems. Online interviews provide the comprehensive
information you need to make effective recruiting and retention decisions. With
online interviews such as web based exit interviews, employee turnover and
retention data is available at the click of a button. Create informative reports for
senior management in minutes. Determine areas needing attention and review
HR analytics and benchmarking metrics with a few simple keystrokes. Today
more than ever, Human Resource professionals need to take a pro-active role in
providing management with HR business intelligence. Online interviews put the
power and the knowledge in the hands of the successful HR Manager. Online
exit interviews are your first line of defense in the knowledge management arena.
When your employees terminate, are they taking critical business knowledge with
them? With online exit interviews you can find out what information the exiting
employee needs to hand off, enabling a smooth transition. Whether it is customer
relations, marketing plans, design notes, or current projects, employees need a
smooth process for passing their knowledge to their coworkers before they leave.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be saved with online interviews. Reducing
turnover by just a few percentage points can create a return on investment.
When an employee leaves, a myriad of costs reverberate throughout the
organization. If the employee is critical on a day-to-day basis, a temporary may
need to be hired immediately. To fill the position requires advertising and
recruiting expenditures, as well as HR and staff time to interview and hire
prospective candidates. Once an employee is hired, that employee needs to be
trained in the functions of the position. By reducing your turnover, you reduce
your costs in all these areas.
Savings are also achieved when you free up your HR staff to work on other
projects instead of on processes that can be easily automated with self-service
online interview systems. Interviewing On the Web Is Now Easier Than Ever
Interviews can be a great way to let others know about a cause you believe in.
They can also be a great way to announce things like charitable events. Most
people think they have to talk to a reporter who is taking notes for a newspaper
article or stand in front of a camera for a television news segment. This can
create an uncomfortable situation knowing anything you say or do at that
moment can find its way on the news. Today, blogs have gained a significant
amount of influence and respect in the news community. Blogs have become a
part of the new media. In the past, you may have been nervous about standing in
front of a camera or reporter while answering questions on the spot. Interviewing
with a blogger is much different. First, questions are developed and sent to you in
advance. Then, you type your response to each of those questions and send
them back to the blogger when you're comfortable with your answers. You have
the ability to review and edit your answers before the interviewer sees and
publishes them. This means each interview that you do could be picked up and
published multiple times on the Internet.
8: Print & Electronic Media networks are going on the Net.
Speed and timeliness were once the strength of newspapers. The wire services
built their reputations on being first with the big stories, which people typically
found in their local papers. The immediacy of television took that edge from the
printed press. Now the Internet has established its own advantages of speed and
timeliness. In doing so, it has enabled newspapers to come full circle by posting
breaking news and extending their brand identities through such innovations as
online afternoon editions.
Web technology has strengthened the traditional watchdog functions of
journalism by giving reporters efficient ways to probe more deeply for
information. The capacity to search documents, compile background and
historical context, and identify authoritative sources has expanded the reporter's
toolbox. It also has introduced a fundamentally different culture built on
interactivity, fewer rules, and fewer limits. The process of establishing standards
online has been influenced by three developments. First, the reality that the
dominant news Web sites will be run by the old media the traditional news
organizations such as daily newspapers, newsmagazines, and network and
major cable television outlets. Second, efforts by online journalists to craft
standards for the Web. The Online News Association is beginning a project to
develop strong guidelines, including recommendations for how they can be
applied and monitored. The third, and perhaps the most farreaching influence on
journalistic standards, is the interactivity of e-mail. E-mail can bring instant
feedback, enabling reporters and editors to hear from people who may know
something about the story and who can share an authoritative perspective,
provide additional sources, or point out parts of the story that may be unbalanced
or unfair. The impact of the change is Information Media and Internet is the age
of Participation. Readers are not passive recipients of news, but participate in the
process. You decide which is the media? The TV channel or newspaper? Or the
SMS platform? Or the web, forums, blogs & social networking! The print media is
yet to make up its mind whether to compete or cooperate with the new challenger
- The Internet & the Blogs! Print journalism players have a Web presence, that is
mostly the result of a domino effect rather than a carefully thought out strategy.
Sadly, the egoist attitude of the editorials always thinks their domains as 'own
territory' but unfortunately, no more on the web. Here rules the righteousness.
With Internet gaining popularity, the dynamics of readership changes. The
fundamental principles of captive audiences changes. The Internet changed the
way commerce and business functions. There lies the real challenge for the
media to compete. Many of them remain content cum distribution centric
activities with rising expenses, no marketing gains except the political triggered
liaisons! Internet is media plus, not a print media property and so, web is the
biggest revolution in our lives. Internet has in the last decade reached 40 million
people and growing. It substitutes for your shopping; it substitutes for your bank;
it substitutes for your newspaper and much more. Every minute, the news on
web is updated and more, you read your choicest newspapers, websites and
blogs in your newsreaders. Why, you can create your very own newspapers with
the contents and feeds - the AP, Reuters, etc. and earn too. A journalist acquires
great significance; he can make or break, destroy and mould. Depends on the
attitude! A writer can expose, review, inform, entertain, teach, preach or just
about perform his role in online media with clarity, power and impact. In recent
months, it is fashionable to point at the increasing popularity of blogs as sign that
traditional media may be under threat from so called citizen journalists. Yonder,
with the recent Blogger bans, the proliferation of independent bloggers tells us
that independent voices are more likely to be heard today than in the era where a
few media oligopolies ruled. And with the rising tech savvy, watch out for the
search on the search engines to see more Bloggers with their voice, more news
and kids’ news websites coming your way - the 20-30s generation when reached
to 35-40 bracket, the web is to rule. Media is to stay but Media - be it press or
television have to sort for Internet medium and the result is more media lagging
behind of news, more media adopting way of web - the blogging community,
forums, etc. it is for the people to decide how to spend Time, Money, Energy.
The Information Technology has revolutionized the communication media with
the emergence of Internet. The process has begun with On-line journalism
utilizing Internet wherein websites are replacing the print media. Most of the Online newspapers are free, interactive and archival in nature and it provides users
to search the information on newspapers through various access points i.e. by
contributors, title, and date.
9: Impact of Web Journalism, Recent Trends.
Online or Web Journalism is defined as the reporting of facts produced and
distributed via the Internet. Many news organizations based in other media also
distribute news online, but the amount they use of the new medium varies. Some
news organizations use the Web exclusively or as a secondary outlet for their
content. The Internet challenges traditional news organizations in several ways.
Newspapers may lose classified advertising to websites, which are often targeted
by interest instead of geography. These organizations are concerned about real
and perceived loss of viewers and circulation to the Internet. And the revenue
gained with advertising on news websites is sometimes too small to support the
site. Even before the Internet, technology and other factors were dividing
people's attention, leading to more - but narrower - media outlets. The Internet
has also given rise to more participation by people who aren't normally
journalists. Bloggers write on web logs or blogs. Traditional journalists often do
not consider bloggers to automatically be journalists. This has more to do with
standards and professional practices than the medium. But, as of 2005, blogging
has generally gained at least more attention and has led to some effects on
mainstream journalism. Other significant tools of on-line journalism are Internet
forums, discussion boards and chats, especially those representing the Internet
version of official media. The widespread use of the Internet all over the world
created a unique opportunity to create a meeting place for both sides in many
conflicts, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russian-Chechen War.
Often this gives a unique chance to find new, alternative solutions to the conflict,
but often the Internet is turned into the battlefield by contradicting parties creating
endless "online battles." Most Internet users agree that on-line sources are often
less biased and more informative than the official media. This claim is often
backed with the belief that on-line journalists are merely volunteers and
freelancers who are not paid for their activity, and therefore are free from
corporate ethics. But recently many Internet forums began to moderate their
boards because of threat of vandalism, which many users see as a form of
censorship. Some online journalists have an ambition to replace the mainstream
media in the long run. Some independent forums and discussion boards have
already achieved a level of popularity comparable to mainstream news agencies
such as television stations and newspapers. Particularly interesting are
About.com in the United States, Expatica in Western Europe and several others.
Internet radio and Podcasts are other growing independent media based on the
Internet.
No longer are journalists and the news constrained by the technical limitations of
analog media boundaries of print, television, or radio. Instead all modalities of
human communication are available for telling the story in the most compelling
interactive, on- demand, and customized fashion possible. Of course, newsroom
traditions and training, as well as newsroom economics, may ultimately
determine whether journalists fully utilize these online capabilities to create
better, more complete and conceptualized news reports. Nevertheless, the
technology makes improved journalism possible. For example “Apbonline” is a
news website covering crime throughout the United States and internationally. It
is an internet-original, or purely online, news product; it has no print or broadcast
parent. Not just confined to text reporting, the site utilized interactivity, images. It
also illustrates the unique capabilities of online news.
A 1998 study places these findings in the context of online journalism, reveals
that the 80 percent of adult Americans who use online media rate online news
sources as just as credible as traditional news providers. The Internet has
revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The
invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this
unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide
broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a
medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers
without regard for geographic location
10: Presentation & Layout of Web Newspapers & Magazines Advertising on the
Web.
Presentation & Layout of Web Newspapers & Magazines An online newspaper,
also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide
Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical.
Going online created more opportunities for newspapers, such as competing with
broadcast journalism in presenting breaking news in a timelier manner. The
credibility and strong brand recognition of well-established newspapers, and the
close relationships they have with advertisers, are also seen by many in the
newspaper industry as strengthening their chances of survival. The movement
away from the printing process can also help decrease costs. Professional
journalists have some advantages over blogs, as editors are normally aware of
the potential for legal problems.
Online newspapers are much like hard-copy newspapers and have the same
legal boundaries, such as laws regarding libel, privacy and copyright, also apply
to online publications in most countries, like in the UK. Also in the UK the Data
Protection Act applies to online newspapers and news pages. As well as the
PCC rules in the UK. But the distinction was not very clear to the public in the UK
as to what a blog or forum site was and what an online newspaper was. In 2007,
a ruling was passed to formally regulate UK based online newspapers, news
audio, and news video websites covering the responsibilities expected of them
and to clear up what is, and what isn't, an online publication. News reporters are
being taught to shoot video and to write in the succinct manner necessary for the
Internet news pages. Many are learning how to implement blogs and the ruling
by the UK's PCC should help this development of the internet. Journalism
students in schools around the world are being taught about the "convergence"
of all media and the need to have knowledge and skills involving print, broadcast
and web. Some newspapers have attempted to integrate the internet into every
aspect of their operations, i.e., reporters writing stories for both print and online,
and classified advertisements appearing in both media; others operate websites
that are more distinct from the printed newspaper. Examples of newspaper online
It would be difficult to find a daily newspaper in the UK or United States, in fact in
the world, in the 21st century that does not have or share a website.
Very few newspapers in 2006 will claim to have made money from their websites,
which are mostly free to all viewers. Declining profit margins and declining
circulation in daily newspapers have forced executives to contemplate new
methods of obtaining revenue from websites, without charging for subscription.
This has been difficult. Newspapers with specialized audiences such as The Wall
Street Journal or The Chronicle of Higher Education, successfully charge
subscription fees. Many of the web papers have simplified their URLs so that, for
instance, miami.com will take you to The Miami Herald whose website first
appeared in the mid-1990s. Most newspapers now have an online edition.
Short Paragraphs > A 100-word paragraph looks pretty long on a Web page.
Long paragraphs send a signal to the reader: This will require effort. The writer
expected you to have a lot of spare time. Sit down and read awhile. Short
paragraphs send a different message: I'm easy! This won't take long at all! Read
me! Chunks > Size does matter. Headings > The heading at the top of the page
should make absolutely clear what the page contains or concerns. The text under
the heading must not repeat the heading information. Subheadings > If the page
text exceeds 300 words, subheadings will help the reader scan the page
efficiently and happily. Boldface > Depending on the content, words or phrases in
boldface can help readers find what they want. Combining boldface and
subheadings could lead to visual noise, so do not overdo it. Combining links and
boldface text in the same paragraph could have the same unsightly result. Lists >
Numbered, bulleted or other indented lists help the reader make sense of the
information on the page. In many print contexts, lists would look ugly and thus
are not used. On Web pages, lists work well in almost all contexts. Like
paragraphs, lists appeal more to the reader when they are short. Text Content
Brevity > Write tight. Omit all unnecessary words. Edited with the trial version of
Foxit Advanced PDF Editor To remove this notice, visit:
www.foxitsoftware.com/shopping Cyber Journalism
Sentence Structure > Be straightforward. While a meandering introductory clause
may seem like a good idea to you, the reader might stop reading -- before she
gets to the heart of your sentence.
Active Verbs > It is easy to write with passive verbs am, is, are, has, have. Using
active verbs makes the writer work harder -- but the reader benefits. The writer
also benefits, because the reader stays interested. Passive verbs bore readers.
Bored readers leave. Say
What You Mean > Try saying it out loud before you write it. We tend to speak
more directly than we write. We get to the point more quickly, too, when we can
see the listener's eyes glazing over. Redundancy > Reading the same
information twice wastes a person's time.
Links What They Say > Link text should not break any of the rules given for text
at left. A link must give the reader a reasonable expectation of what she will get
when she clicks. Linked phrases such as "click here" or "Web page" do not
provide helpful information.
What They Do > A link that does not open something or take the user to a new
Web page seems to be a broken link. When the link will take the user to a
different place on the same page, or open a media player, give the user a cue.
How They Look > A long phrase more than about f ive words can be hard to
read, or just ugly, when underlined and/or in a highlight color. Links that are not
underlined and do not appear in a different color from the surrounding text are
almost impossible for the users to see
11: Circulation of Web Newspapers Future of Web Journalism.
Many general interest online magazines provide free access to all aspects of
their online content although some publishers have opted to require a
subscription fee to access premium online article and/or multi-media content.
Online magazines generate revenue based on targeted search ads to web-site
visitors, banner ads online display advertising, affiliate links, online classified ads,
product -purchase capabilities, advertiser directory links, or alternative
informational/commercial purpose. Many large print-publishers now provide
digital reproduction of their print magazine titles through various online services
for a fee. These service providers also refer to their collections of these digital
format products as online magazines. The original ezines and diskmags, due to
their low cost and initial non-mainstream targets, may be seen as a disruptive
technology to traditional publishing houses.
12: Analysis of important Indian News based Websites
A news site is a web site with the primary purpose of reporting news. There are
two main types of news site: general news and subject-specific. The first set of
news sites emerged when traditional news providers moved their content online.
One of the earliest was a Raleigh, North Carolina newspaper, The News &
Observer, which launched its companion site NandO.net in 1994. Others soon
followed, including The New York Times, MSNBC.com, CNN, and BBC News.
The offline news industry, newspapers in particular, face a huge threat from the
internet medium as more and more users have moved online for their news fare.
This has resulted in declining newspaper subscription across the world. The
Internet, the worldwide network of interconnected machines, has evolved over
the last couple of years from a research project, to a geek's medium, and into a
common communication medium. Web sites have been sprouting everywhere,
creating an online presence for companies, institutions, organizations and
individuals. However, along with the rise of Internet, there has also been a
corresponding rise in the number of Internet related thefts, fraud and system
compromises. As more and more bugs in server implementation are discovered,
they are promptly used to break into online systems and gain access to restricted
information. India is not an exception to this trend. As the number of Indian Web
sites has increased, so have the attacks directed against them. The media and
the security industry are slowly realizing the extent of the problem. It was felt that
research needed to be done to gather statistical and empirical information on the
state and trends of defacement activities targeted against Indian Web sites, as
there has not been any previously reported study or survey on this topic.
Recently there has been a noticeable rise of cyber crime in different forms,
ranging from information theft/modification to launching denial of service attacks.
Among the different form of cyber attacks, defacement of websites has become
popular among the hackers/ hacker groups. These defacements are carried for
different motives including fun, political, revenge or just proving their
competency. With the global rise in cyber terrorism activity, Indian websites have
also been similarly affected and have been the targeted by many attackers, some
of them being opportunist while some have targeted specific sites/domains.
There are many web sites that keep track and mirror global defacements through
active submission from the hackers. The website www.zone-h.org is one of the
most popular and comprehensive web defacement mirroring site. 4.1. Indian
News Websites The growth and spread of the internet has made it possible to
disseminate information to the remotest corners of the country. Online journalism
in India is the fastest growing media sector in the country. Online journalism
provides instant and readily accessible news to millions of internet users in India.
The number of internet users in the country is forever on the rise. The hunger for
news, information and knowledge has shown a remarkable rise in India. There
are plenty of Indian portals that offer international, national and local news to
internet users in the country. Some of the popular news websites that net savvy
Indians visit, are: 1 Rediff 2 Sify 3 Samachar 4 Headlines India The 4 websites
that have been mentioned above, are not an offshoot of any television or print
media brands. They exist primarily as an online entity. Samachar and
Headlinesindia function purely as a news portal, whereas sify and rediff have
several other interest areas. The major television news channels and newspaper
houses in India have significant online presence. They continue to attract most of
the online traffic in India. Some of the newspaper houses and television news
channels that own popular portals on the internet are listed below. The Times of
India The Hindu The Tribune Hindustan Times NDTV The Indian Express There
are millions and millions of people in India who are yet to discover the wonders of
the internet. They are still dependent on newspapers, television channels and
radio stations to listen to the latest happenings from around the world. In another
3-5 years time, online journalism will become much larger in terms of reach,
operations and business prospects. Some of the prestigious journalism institutes
in the country do have modules that deal with the topic of online journalism. Most
of the Indian professionals who work as online journalists usually hail from a print
or television media background. A graduate degree in English, Journalism or
Mass Communication could prove to be an added advantage for candidates
aspiring to be an online journalist in India. Cyber Journalism is different from the
print media in the following areas: News Cycle, Updating Frequency, Packaging,
Knowledge Links, News Vehicles. Following is the list for the Indian Newspapers
and News Sites: Asian Age Offers daily India and South Asia news. Asian
News International ANI New Delhi based multimedia news agency providing
news coverage from India and South Asia.
Business Line Business daily from The Hindu group of publications. Business
Standard Major financial newspaper. DNA Daily News & Analysis Online
newspaper from Mumbai. Economic Revolution Financial news weekly,
covering mostly stock market and commodity in India. Economic Times Daily
business newspaper from the Times of India group. Express India News portal
publishing several major Indian newspapers. Financial Express Provides
financial and industrial news, stock market reports. Asian Age Offers daily India
and South Asia news. Asian News International ANI New Delhi based
multimedia news agency providing news coverage from India and South Asia.
Business Line Business daily from The Hindu group of publications. Business
Standard Major financial newspaper. DNA Daily News & Analysis Online
newspaper from Mumbai. Economic Revolution Financial news weekly,
covering mostly stock market and commodity in India. Economic Times Daily
business newspaper from the Times of India group. Express India News portal
publishing several major Indian newspapers. Financial Express Provides
financial and industrial news, stock market reports. Hard News Political Indian
magazine, partner of the eminent French monthly Le Monde Diplomatique.
Edited with the trial version of Foxit Advanced PDF Editor To remove this notice,
visit: www.foxitsoftware.com/shopping Hindu National daily newspaper, based in
Madras. Hindu Group of Publications Online presentation of many Indian
newspapers and magazines. Hindustan Times Major daily newspaper from
Delhi. India Daily News, primarily aimed at foreign and expatriate audience.
Indian Express Delhi based daily. Mid-Day Mumbai daily. Milli Gazette
Newspaper for Indian Muslims. Mumbai Mirror Daily tabloid published by the
Times Group. NDTV.com News site of Delhi-based TV offering live video
reports. New Indian Express Newspaper with focus on the southern states.
News Track India News portal contains all the latest stories from India and
around the world. Outlook India Weekly news magazine known for in-depth,
investigative reporting. Radiance Views weekly India's oldest Muslim English
weekly. Rediff Indian news and entertainment portal. Samachar.com Provides
aggregates news from all major Indian newspapers. Statesman One of India's
oldest newspaper, based in Calcutta. Tehelka Alternative news magazine.
Telegraph Calcutta-based national daily. Times of India Quality national daily
from Delhi
Trends in Cyber Reporting & Editing,
We can hear the ominous warnings from newsroom elders who, with the dot.com
boom, were sounding the death knell for newspapers and warning us to consider
new careers. With the Internet has come the expected circulation drops and
downsizing, but newspapers are still hiring and still filling the stands each
morning and should for some time to come. Yet as editors are telling their
newsrooms that they will be the ones to lead the online news revolution, they're
still quaking in their boots about the future of the pressroom. The smart journalist
needs to not just accept the Internet news revolution with a grin-and-bear-it
attitude, but embrace what the Web can do for the news business and for his or
her career.
Easy access: What were the chances before the Internet that someone abroad
would read an article written in a small-town newspaper? Major metropolitan
markets to heartland weeklies are getting exposure like never before by writing
the right stories with key buzzwords to be picked up on news searches such as
Google and Yahoo. It's truly an exciting era of news globalization. Clips files:
Instead of running to the Kinko's with a folder full of ragged clips every time an
opportunity beckons, journalists can easily compile their work on Web sites for all
to peruse. By using links to one's paper or freelance clients, a journalist can also
show these entities that he or she is generating reader interest and driving traffic
to their Web sites. Reader feedback: In the print world, readers can respond with
letters to the editor that most often don't wind up in front of the reporter. But
when a journalist's work is online, discussion on blogs and other sites gives a
reporter the opportunity to eavesdrop on the conversation and get invaluable
feedback about what the readers really think. No limits: Many publications have
launched online publications bearing the same name with original content, such
as The Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal and National Review Online.
Though these pay less than print, the exposure is great and because there are
no ad stack design constraints one usually isn't hindered by maximum word
counts. In the future, a journalist may not see as much of his or her work on
newsprint, a clipping stuffed in a scrapbook. But a lot more people will be reading
that journalist's work, and that's really what it's all about. The Internet and
specifically its graphic interface the World Wide Web is reaching a level of
saturation and widespread adoption throughout the world. Specifically for
journalism practiced online - in the discipline of computer-assisted reporting CAR
and a specific kind of journalism: online journalism - we can now identify and
theorize about the impacts the global system of networked computers has had on
journalism.
Be the first with the facts by trying some of these suggestions for uncovering
news that others haven't. The interactive nature of the Internet allows online
writers to involve readers in news reporting in ways that print and broadcast
journalists never could before. Online writers can solicit leads and advice from
readers through open source reporting, or even ask readers to report a story
themselves, through a distributed reporting project. Still, the vast majority of
online reporting is done the old fashioned way, through interviews, observations
and record checks done by the writers themselves. Open Source
Reporting Reporters traditionally don't tell readers in advance what stories they
are working on. Reporters don't want to lose a potential scoop to a competitor by
announcing what they are investigating before they have that story ready to go.
Open source reporting takes the opposite approach. A reporter announces the
topic he or she wishes to investigate, and invites readers to submit leads, tips,
sources and ideas. The potential for a "scoop" is lost, as other writers can do the
same thing. But open source reporting is based on a collaborative model,
emerging from the ideal that a community of readers knows more, and has
access to more resources, than a single reporter or newsroom. Open up your
reporting process to engage that community, and you can report with greater
speed and depth than you could on your own. Open source techniques can
prove valuable for solo bloggers and small newsrooms that lack the resources of
major news organizations. Simple open source reporting predates the Internet,
as reporters and news organizations have run "tip lines" for years. But blogging
and discussion forums now allow journalists to work with an unprecedented level
of transparency throughout the reporting process.
Distributed Reporting Distributed news reporting takes open source reporting one
step further, by relying on readers to submit information themselves. In this
model, readers become reporters, publishing information into a database of
incident reports that is then coalesced for publication. A distributed news
reporting effort can involve sophisticated Web front-ends, merged with detailed
databases, such as US Geological Survey's "Did You Feel It?" Earthquake
shakes maps. The trick to good distributed reporting is to use this method for
information about which a large number of readers are likely to have first-hand
information, such as earthquake damage. Distributed reporting efforts also can
effectively gather and sort published information, such as in
TalkingPointsMemo.com's Katrina Timeline. Indeed, Wikipedia is perhaps the
world's best-known example of a distributed online reporting project. Handled
poorly, a distributed reporting effort can degenerate into an anonymous bulletin
board, with false reports and defamation. But if a journalist designs his or her
distributed reporting effort responsibly, sourcing all information and requiring
readers to verify their identity to post such as verifying an e -mail address,
distributed reporting can produce a massive quantity of well-organized
information in a fraction of the time it would take a traditional newsroom to do the
same work.
Traditional Reporting The three traditional methods for gathering information for a
news story are through interviews, observation and document searches.
1. Interviews Want to know what's happening? Find people who know and
talk to them. The best sources are folks who were or are directly involved
in the incident or subject that you're covering. Introduce yourself and say
for whom you are writing. If you are recording the interview, be sure to ask
permission first. It is illegal in many places to record someone without their
consent. If you are unsure of your ability to take accurate notes, record the
interview. Start by getting the source's name, and its spelling, as well as
his or her official title, if it is relevant to the story. Ask questions that
cannot be answered with a 'yes' or a 'no.' Instead, ask people to describe
the incident or situation. Listen as they respond and imagine what
additional information a reader would want. Then ask follow-up questions
to get that information. Don't get intimidated and feel afraid that you are
asking "dumb" questions. If your source says something you do not
understand, ask them to explain it in simpler terms. If something a source
says does not make sense to you, say why and ask for an explanation. If
you don't understand something, your readers likely will not as well.
Always be polite and respectful when interviewing someone, but respect
your readers as well. Don't allow a source to intimidate you into not asking
tough, appropriate questions.
2. Observation Your five senses can provide the details that help a make an
otherwise dry story come to life for a reader. Even if you are "just" doing
an interview, make note of the setting: What do you see? Hear? Smell?
Feel? Drop those details into your story to help bring your reader into the
place and the moment from where you are reporting. Be careful, however,
not to load your story with gratuitous detail that demeans or insults your
subject. We don't need to know what color your interviewee's hair is,
unless it is relevant to the story. Try sitting someplace alone for 30
minutes, and then write a story about what you saw, as practice in
developing your observational skills.
3. Looking through documents Online reporters can find thousands of stories
lurking within public data. Government databases on crime, school test
scores, population statistics, accident reports, environmental safety and
more can keep a motivated writer busy for years. Documents also provide
a great way to fact-check statements made by an interview subject. Start
with voting records. Go to the county courthouse and ask to see the
registration records for some of your local officials. How often do they
vote? Have they always been in the same party? If something is public
record, any member of the public has the right to inspect it. You need not
work for some major news organization. That said, manners go a long way
in getting people to help you. Ask nicely and be genuinely kind to the folks
working in government offices who get records for you. Journalists often
use computer-assisted reporting to find trends in large datasets, including
budgets and crime reports. If you know how to use programs like Excel,
Access and MapInfo, you can crosscheck any number of interesting public
databases, such as a list of school district employees with criminal
convictions. Or you can use mapping software and police traffic reports to
find the intersections with the most accidents. Or to find the most common
speed traps. No matter which method you use and you should try to use
them all on each story you want to find information that illustrates and
explains the issue or incident you are writing about. It's basic nature to
start with an assumption of your own. But look for information that
challenges or contradicts your assumptions. Don't just "cast" a story,
looking for quotes and data that support your opinion, while ignoring
information that doesn't. Great reporters cycle through the process many
times in pursuit of their stories. They go back and do more interviews, look
for more documents and spend more time observing as their initial
reporting leads them in different directions. Check, check and doublecheck your facts. Try not to make mistakes when transcribing an interview,
copying data from official records or describing something you've seen.
Everyone makes a mistake at some point, but that does not excuse
carelessness.
Impact of globalization on Web Journalism,
The globalization of journalism online Some British news websites are attracting
larger audiences than their American competitors in US regional and national
markets. At the British news websites studied, Americans made up an average of
36 per cent of the total audience with up to another 39 per cent of readers from
countries other than the USA. Visibility on portals like the Drudge Report and on
indexes such as Google, News brings considerable international traffic but is
partly dependent on particular genres of story and fast publication times. Few
news websites are willing to disclose breakdowns of their large numbers of
international readers fearing a negative reaction from domestic advertisers.
Some see little value in international readers — some of whom read 3 to 4 times
fewer pages than their domestic counterparts. Others are actively selling
advertising targeted at their international audience and even claiming their
presence is beginning to change their news agenda.
Cyber Laws,
Cyber law is a term used to describe the legal issues related to use of
communications technology, particularly "cyberspace", i.e. the Internet. It is less
a distinct field of law in the way that property or contract are, as it is an
intersection of many legal fields, including intellectual property, privacy, freedom
of expression, and jurisdiction. In essence, cyber law is an attempt to integrate
the challenges presented by human activity on the Internet with legacy system of
laws applicable to the physical world.
Concept of e –governance.
India became independent on 15th August 1947. Since then it has been
struggling through to make its stand in the world. Many new technologies were
brought and many new are still are to be found. One such revolution was brought
about by the introduction of the ‘internet’, which is till date considered as the pool
of knowledge…the deeper you go in, the more you learn about your world, about
yourself. But who could think of the time when this rich source of knowledge will
be misused for criminal activities. There are many such disturbing activities that
occurred in past and demanded of some rules and regulations urgently, some set
definite patterns that can be put forward while carrying out any business
transaction over the net, ranging from a simple friendly e-mail to carrying out the
whole set of your work, without which it may go wild and beyond control and it
can be used as a tool for the very destruction of mankind. It was at this point of
time that the government of India felt the need to enact the relevant cyber laws,
which can regulate the Internet in India. It denotes all aspects, issues and the
legal consequences on the Internet, the World Wide Web and cyber space.
There are numerous factors that stand behind this decision of government. 1.
Although India has a very well defined legal system that has been developed with
the aim cover all possible situations and cases that have occurred or might take
place in future, but it lacks when it comes to the newly developed Internet
technology. With the arrival of Internet many new complex and ticklish issues
cropped up which could not be interpreted cleared in the light of existing laws
and thus necessitated the enactment of the cyber laws. 2. Also, with the growth
of the Internet, it became important to give some legal recognition to what is
going on the Internet. Internet has grown up as one of the dominating resources
to carry out one’s business in today’s world. Most of the world fame companies
prefer to outsource their business processes, which have become possible
because of the Internet. How come a company can carry out its business safely
and securely when there is no legal validity or sanction to the activities in the
cyberspace? It is now with the emergence of cyber laws the concept of digital
signatures and digital records have come up, with which a business organization
can legally carry out its business process; or else even the emails were not given
the legal recognition in the country. 3. With the growth of the Internet and many
associated business and friendly activities, grew the cyber crime and cyber
terrorism. Here the two terms hold an entirely different meaning. While the cyber
crime refers to some activity done with the criminal intentions aiming to harm or
completely destruct ones workplace or something similar with or without the use
of computer; cyber terrorism is defined as a premeditated use of disruptive
activities or the threat thereof, in cyber space, with the intention to further social,
ideological, religious, political or similar objectives, or to intimidate any person in
furtherance of such objectives. The cyber criminals can employ conventional
activities or could use some innovative methods and develop some new ways to
achieve destroying their target places. Such crimes may include Virus/worm
attack, E-mail spoofing¸ Email bombing, Salami attack or Web Jacking. 4. There
were certain issues that required either the existing laws to be amended as they
were outdated in the present scenario of the world or required certain new
clauses to be added up in the existing cyber laws to check the various criminal
activities going on the Internet. Among various such cases is the MMS porn case
in which the CEO of bazee.com was arrested for allegedly selling the MMS clips
involving school children on its website. Then there was a case where the two
actors threatened the Mid-day daily with a defamation suit when the newspaper
published the pictures of the Indian actor kissing her boyfriend at the Bombay
nightspot. All such activities taking place around the country needed a new
discipline that could provide everyone with the safe and secure environment
where an illegal encroachment of some cyber criminal, as law calls it, to be
prosecuted and punished for his crime. Also these laws were needed to lay the
foundation of the legally recognized rules and regulations that a company or an
individual must follow while carrying out his business…giving even the business
processes carried out by this newly evolved hot media even the legal status.
Keeping all these factors in to the consideration, Indian Parliament passed the
Information Technology Bill on 17th May 2000, which is known as the Information
Technology Act, 2000. It talks about the Cyber laws and forms the legal
framework for electronic records and other activities done by electronic
means/ways.
E-governanceInternet governance is the development and application by Governments, the
private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles,
norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the
evolution and use of the Internet. Concept E-Governance is the application of
Information-Technology in the processes of Government functioning to ensure
the highest standard of services to the citizens by providing instant access to
selected Government information, and interfaces for communicating with the
various government functionaries, wherever and whenever they need it. Since
the Internet has proved its potential as a powerful and effective means of
disseminating information, it is here that the importance of having good
government web-enabled interfaces comes into light. The Objectives are: Better
dissemination of government information at the remotest corner, resulting in
better awareness among rural masses about various Govt. Schemes and
bringing in transparency. Saving in time & cost of people visiting District
headquarters time and again for getting information, lodging complaints &
inquiring their status etc. Reduction in response time by the concerned
departments and increase in their accountability to people of the State. Virtual
Extension Counters for the Government, by way of using these Centres for
getting the departmental Data entered and transmitted from time to time. A
platform for the people to interact with each other on areas of mutual interests
e.g. matrimonial, sales/purchases etc. Additional income opportunities from
Citizen Information Centres by using them for General Training, Word
Processing and Data Entry jobs, and extending Internet Access. Employment
generation by opening up of Citizen Information Centres throughout the State in
the private sector. Facilitating the growth of Internet Service Providers ISPs
throughout the State.
Global Internet governance is a complex issue, which involves powerful interests.
After all, it has to do with defining and improving global coordination of the
different network components, from infrastructure to appropriate methods for
possible supervision of content which involves subjects that range from child
pornography to undue use of e-mail for frauds. A consensus already exists: the
way it is now cannot continue. There is no world forum to establish effective
agreements related to the Internet for fair sharing of connection costs between
countries, to define effective policies against “spam” to guarantee freedom of
expression, the right to information, and many other rights and duties that, with
the inevitable presence of the Internet in our lives - even in the lives of people
without access to it - become crucial. On the other hand, one of the world
demands is that network governance as a whole begin to be actually global,
democratic, transparent, and pluralistic - that is, with representation of all interest
groups in the decision-making process. It is fundamental to search for a new type
of global governance organizations, which can operate as forums for dispute
resolution and also as mechanisms for coordination, recommendations, and
standardization of the various network-related issues. E-Governance involves
new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding policy and
investment, new ways of accessing education, new ways of listening to citizens
and new ways of organizing and delivering information and services.
Administrative authority in the management of a country’s affairs, including
citizens’ articulation of their interests and exercise of their legal rights and
obligations. E-governance may be understood as the performance of this
governance via the electronic medium in order to facilitate an efficient, speedy
and transparent process of disseminating information to the public, and other
agencies, and for performing government administration activities. E-governance
is generally considered as a wider concept than e-government, since it can bring
about a change in how citizens relate to governments and to each other. Egovernance can bring forth new concepts of citizenship, both in terms of citizen
needs and responsibilities. Its objective is to engage, enable and empower the
citizen.
Why introduce e-governance?
The purpose of implementing e-governance is to enhance good governance.
Good governance is generally characterized by participation, transparency and
accountability. The recent advances in communication technologies and the
Internet provide opportunities to transform the relationship between governments
and citizens in a new way, thus contributing to the achievement of good
governance goals. The use of information technology can increase the broad
involvement of citizens in the process of governance at all levels by providing the
possibility of on-line discussion groups and by enhancing the rapid development
and effectiveness of pressure groups. Advantages for the government involve
that the government may provide better service in terms of time, making
governance more efficient and more effective. In addition, the transaction costs
can be lowered and government services become more accessible.
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