Journalism on the Internet essay

Journalism on the Internet

The common forms of media in today's world each have both

advantages and disadvantages. The Internet has been around for an

almost equal amount of time as most of them, but only recently has

it become a popular way of retrieving information. The Internet

takes the best of all other medium and combines them into a very

unique form. The Internet is the best way to retrieve information.

This combination of paper publishing, TV, radio, telephones, and 

mail is the future of communications. The internet has several

types of journalism which can be defined into three sections. One

section is online magazines, online broadcasting, and other online

services. The next group is resource files and web pages. The third

is discussion groups/forums and e-mail. I will investigate these

areas of the net, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each

in comparison to the conventional forms.

In order to understand what all these topics are you must

first understand what the internet is. The simple answer is that it

is computers all over the globe connected together by telephone

wires. It was first made by the military, "No one owns the

Internet", to have a network with no centre. That way it could

never be destroyed by nuclear war. Since then, universities have

used it and it has evolved into what it is today. It is a library

that contains mail, stories, news advertising, and just about

everything else. "In a sense, freenets are a literacy movement for

computer mediated communication today, as public libraries were to

reading for an earlier generation." Now that the term "the net" is

understood lets look at some sections of the net.

An online magazine is a computer that lets users access it

through the net. This computer stores one or more magazines which

users can read. "PC magazine and other magazines are available on

the Web" "Maclean's Magazine and Canadian Business online; and

Reuters' Canadian Newsclips." This form is much better that

conventional publishing, "we are using the online service to

enhance the print magazine", for several reasons. It is

environmentally safe, "Publish without Paper", most are free, "$50

a month on CompuServe", you can get any article from any year at

the touch of a button, and you can search for key words. "Search

engines make it easy pinpointing just the information you need".

The articles don't have space limits so you will get a specially

edited full story version (depending on the reporter) and other

articles that didn't make the print. It is easy to compare the

story with another journalists view, or get the story from a

journalist from another country. This way, the reader can make

informed decisions on anything, without bias. A few people complain

that there is too much information to receive, "mass jumble", but

there are filter programs that will cut the information to any set

amount. CNN online is a broadcast web page (another computer). CNN

not only has the articles to read but video, and sound clips too.

Anyone can get up to the minute news, and reports. "We will send a

reporter to the game, who will interview people like the coach and

uplink the story while the game is being played." This is an

excellent addition to TV. It is a mix of TV and publishing. TV has

a schedule to keep and might cut out parts simply for time but

there is no time limit online. Also, because it is interactive,

users will remember the information longer than if they watched TV.

An online service is a web page that sells something. It is easy to

order anything, from flowers to even airline tickets.

"...opportunity to buy tickets through TicketMaster." But even

this has problems, "the Internet is new and many possible types of

fraud must be dealt with," but the solution is software, "Secure

Courier...a secure means of transferring financial transactions".

This service is the home shopping, catalogue, and printed flier

replacement. Their advantage is that you can buy directly, or skip

them if you wish, unlike TV.

Web pages on the internet are computers that are dedicated to

letting people access them. Many companies have a web page that

offers help to customers, news, services, product updates, advice

from experts, even "information on elections, government programs,

and so forth." "These new, online services include daily industry

news, classified, a directory of suppliers, an interactive forum,

and tons of reference material, including government documents,

surveys, speeches, papers, and statistics." Even home businesses

can have a page and advertise their products or services. The only

other medium that comes close to what a web page can do is the help

telephone lines, but a web page is much more useful. Resource files

are like a library of information. By using a search program a user

can find files on any topic. They can get, digital books, reports,

pictures, statistics, university essays, sound files, video, and

even programs, "You can even download the federal budget

simulator". However, there is always going to be the possibility

of false information, but because it is so easy to speak your mind

on the net, this bad information is quickly found and deleted.

"Established sources such as universities, libraries, and

government agencies can be considered reasonably reliable....Then

comes the free-for-all." "You must be a critical viewer of both

the source and the content"

The final area is discussion groups or forums. There is a

forum for just about any topic. "The overall advantage is the

spread of ideas, information, and thoughts between people who would

not otherwise correspond. The Result is a free flow if ideas with

little moderation or control". A forum is a mail group that allow

people all over the world discuss a topic, trade information, etc.

"everything from uploaded works by Canadian artists to chats on

hockey and politics." Each forum has many users, each with their

own point of view. Anyone can talk, bias or not, loving or hating

the topic. "There are no rules about what can or can not go on the

Internet. Legal standards are almost impossible to establish and

even less likely to be enforced on a global link,". However, this

free flow of information can cause problems. These are evident in

adult forums and the EFF. The Electronic Freedom Foundation is a

group of people that want all information to be available to

anyone. This information can be anything such as; how to build a

car bombs, atomic bombs, working computer virus code, government

files, UFO info, hacking, cracking (copying software), and pheaking

(free telephone calls). This information is illegal in some

countries, and can be harmful or fatal if used. It is still

available because of the freedom of information act. The

information has always been available, but only lately has it

become this easy to get. Adult forums and web pages have created a

stir in the government. There are explicit pictures, novels,

catalog, stories, mail, and even child porn on the net. The

government has set out to stop the child porn but allowed the other

adult material to pass by. It would be improper for a young child

to access this information. To stop this, parents can install

programs to lock out these web pages, but a knowledgeable child can

still get access to them. The government is currently working on

this problem and setting up laws to protect the people who want to

be protected, while not infringing on the rights of the people who

want access to this information.

As you can see, the Internet has the potential to be the

worlds #1 medium. With the ever expanding Web and a growing number

of users, this is only a matter of time. Journalism on the Internet

is only one of many things that will be available through the net.

As these technologies advance, barriers will be broken, rules set,

and the world's knowledge will be a phone call and a mouse click

away.

Footnotes in Order

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 20

Trueman, "The 1995 Canadian Internet Awards", The Computer

Paper, September, (1995), p. 94

Michael J. Miller, "Where Do I Want to Go Today", PC

Magazine, March 28, (1995), P. 75

Sorelle Saidman, "Online Canadian Content Expanding despite

Prodigy Setback", Toronto Computes, November, (1995), p. 9

Doug Bennet, "Confessions of an online publisher", Toronto

Computes, November (1995), p. 35

"The Internet Comes of Age" PC Magazine, May 30, (1995), P.

19

Casey Abell, "Letters", PC Magazine, May 30, (1995), P. 19

Rick Ayre and Don Willmott, "The Internet Means Business", Pc

Magazine, May 16, (1995), p. 197

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 20

Chris Carder, "Sports on the Internet a winner", Toronto

Computes, November, (1995), P. 98

Chris Carder, "Sports on the Internet a winner", Toronto

Computes, November, (1995), P. 98

Patrick McKenna, "Netscape's Digital Envelope For Internet

Transactions", The Computer Paper, September, (1995), p. 90

Patrick McKenna, "Netscape's Digital Envelope For Internet

Transactions", The Computer Paper, September, (1995), p. 90

Michael J. Miller, "Where Do I Want to Go Today", PC

Magazine, March 28, (1995), P. 75

Doug Bennet, "Confessions of an online publisher", Toronto

Computes, November (1995), p. 37

Michael J. Miller, "Where Do I Want to Go Today", PC

Magazine, March 28, (1995), P. 75

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 21

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 21

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 21

Sorelle Saidman, "Online Canadian Content Expanding despite

Prodigy Setback", Toronto Computes, November, (1995), p. 9

Bill Kempthorne, "Internet, So What?", The Computer Paper,

September, (1995), p. 22