'New News' Retrospective: Is Online News Reaching Its Potential?

This article compares ideas about opportunities offered by online news (the "new media") in 1995 to the reality of how that media has developed in 2005. Paul examines some of the predictions from the Poynter Institute's
1995 New News seminar, drawing on examples from both local and national media sources in the United States. She concludes that
"the great promise that was seen for this as a new form of journalism has yet to
be fully realized."



Paul makes a series of observations on how the "new media" has, and
has not, lived up to the promises it was believed to hold in 1995 (summarised below):

1. Early predictions that online news would provide access to text edited out of print versions have proved largely
   untrue. The most common use of unedited material has turned out to be in video news streams.
2. In 1995, seminar participants believed that people would look for news that could provide "deep content". While the medium
   has provided this opportunity, people have become "swamped" with information, and will turn to "news site hopping" or niche sites
   to find the information they seek.
3. The promises offered by hyperlinking from within news stories were met with the reality news sites faced
   of the difficulty
   in verifying outside news sources. News sites have also been hesitant to send readers to links outside their own site.
4. The belief that online media could enable 2-way conversation between reporter and reader has proved partially true - supported by some news sites and not others.
5. The promise of transparency in reporting methodology has had some success, as exemplified by
   companion stories published either by the reporter or photographer.
6. The possibility of new "vernacular", "informal" or "non-linear" reporting styles has been met mostly in
   the form of blogs and discussion forums.
7. The promise of follow-up or evolving news stories has been met by some sites who have created "ongoing
   coverage" of certain topics.
8. The opportunity for a "new relationship between media and graphics" has become a possibility, but is
   hindered by the time consuming nature of developing these sites.