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How the Internet Is Re-Shaping the News

How the Internet Is Re-Shaping the News

The internet has already replaced the newsroom as the main source of information for many people globally. It’s amazing how the technology that is just a few decades old has overshadowed the strides it took us to move from smoke signals to newspapers, radio, and TV broadcasts. And the best part is that information travels around the world in a few seconds with a single upload on the internet.

And nothing paints a clearer picture than the recent slapping incident between Best Actor nominee Will Smith and presenter and comedy act Chris Rock. The slapping event had received nearly 1 billion hits from Google searches worldwide in just one week. A video uploaded by The Guardian broke YouTube records at more than 50 million views in 24 hours.

Undeniably, the internet dominates our lives in many ways as the number of connected people grows by the day, and the traditional newsroom bears the tale. Here are some of the revolutionary changes brought about by this connection:

The Rise of User-Generated Content

An internet connection makes sharing information easier and quicker. And thanks to social media, we can do it more conveniently than ever before, sharing photos, videos, or short messages with friends, family, and business associates from anywhere in the world. The information provides a wealth of content for journalists and newsrooms, where access to raw footage and eyewitness accounts is usually guaranteed.

Instead of traveling across states from Kuala Lumpur to collect data on an incident in Perlis, a journalist can approach eyewitnesses through social media. And thanks to internet video calls, instant messaging apps, and social media, they can receive live footage without leaving the newsroom.

And there are many cases where the news bypasses traditional media, reaching the audience via social channels, and journalists have to play catch-up. For example, the Tham Luang cave rescue of June and July 2018 first came to the limelight via a Facebook post. As the 12 boys and their football coach, trapped by the partially flooded cave system, were rescued by the Thai Navy Seals, the news became a global media sensation thanks to a celebratory post on the Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page.

Research, Fact-Checking, and Instant Publishing

The internet is the lifeblood of modern news research, and thanks to it, the news is more factual than ever before. An internet connection speeds up information search and helps the journalist gather all the facts before heading to the newsroom. Besides, users can fact-check everything, and no journalist wants the prospect of fighting a libel suit when they have all the right tools to prevent it.

The internet allows multiple reporters to share scarce organisational IT infrastructure and perform collaborative work using cloud services, even when on the field. Writers and editors keep the news websites up to date with the latest news, writing and publishing instantly without waiting for the next day’s print.

The World's Largest Newsstand

The World's Largest Newsstand

Perhaps the greatest disruption has been experienced through the news distribution channels because distribution costs have almost entirely disappeared. But the internet did not just change marketing and distribution overheads for news media. It opened up remote locations and gave rise to new markets and products that have revolutionised how media houses package their news.

Internet-enabled publishing and distribution channels have allowed smaller media houses to be more competitive. Blogging has become increasingly popular as one-person operations get unrestricted access to a global audience.

The speed of getting the published content is also impressive. You could be on holiday in the Bahamas and still access news content from your local media house in Petaling Jaya.

News on Demand

The internet allows us to access previous news stories without going through the media house archivist or even the public library system. Today’s media companies implement advanced automation systems to create indexed digital libraries for previous news broadcasts, published articles, and video/audio records, which can be accessed at the user’s convenience. Additionally, it may increase revenue streams for the platform owners if they keep the content behind a paywall.

Readers and the general audience contend with a divided attention span, and they love it when stories come with some background information. Archived articles can be linked to current news features, which is an excellent way of sharing the context on running issues. For example, sharing a link to the slapping video on a news article about Will Smith’s ban from The Academy.

Interactive News Stories

The internet has changed how we consume and share stories. For instance, where most newspapers were heavily worded with just a few pictures, today’s publications can be enhanced with high-resolution photography, video, and audio recordings. The immersive interactivity of multimedia formats can create a two-way communication loop between publishers and their consumers, allowing them to gain instant feedback from the audience.

Digital-first news stories incorporate the audience into the storytelling process by giving them a chance to actively engage with the stories through games, quizzes, and comments. Interactive charts and graphics have been used to simplify complex stories by using visualisation to dive into the intricate details. A perfect example is the visualisation of the Syrian Civil War in an article published by The New York Times.

Changing with the Times

As life gets busier, many people find it increasingly hard to fit in all the things they have to do. And reading the paper or watching the news is last on their minds, but being busy doesn’t mean that they’re not following the latest developments in politics, business, and pop culture. Media owners have to look for more creative ways to keep their audience, and adopting an online presence is one of the best solutions.

However large or small the size of operations, the internet tips the balance in your favor if you take deliberate steps to capitalise on the existing opportunities. Regardless of their schedules, everyone can dip in at their leisure and explore the latest developments. And sharing headlines on social media can be a good way of reminding them to lookout your comprehensive coverage on the website or the prime time broadcast.

How Are You Connected to the Internet?

Whether you are in the business of providing news or consuming news, quality connectivity is essential to staying up to date with the latest news and happenings worldwide. Leave it to us at Allo, as we support the nation’s fiber broadband roll out and deliver high quality internet access to the rest of the nation. We give you unlimited freedom to focus on your core business. Stop worrying about technology and start concentrating on building a world-class enterprise by connecting to our reliable broadband network.

Contact us today to get started.