1. lcome to the world of
urnalism, where
porters have been
gging dirt, raking muck,
king headlines and
adlines for centuries
w. It’s a history full of
bloid trash, of slimy
nsationalists, of
runkards, deadbeats and
mmers” (as a Harvard
iversity president once
scribed reporters).
But it’s a history full of
roes, too: men and
men risking their lives
tell stories of war and
agedy, risking
prisonment to defend
ee speech. And as you
n see here, reports have
come beloved characters
p culture, too, turning up
movies, comics and TV
ows as if guided by an
cult hand.
Every culture seeks
effective ways to spread
new information and gossip.
In ancient times, news was
written on clay tablets. In
Caesar’s age, Romans read
newsletters compiled by
correspondents and
handwritten by slaves.
Wandering minstrels spread
news (and the plague) in the
Middle Ages. Them came
ink on paper. Voices on
airwaves. Newsreels, Web
sites, And 24-hour cable
news networks.
Thus when scholars
analyze the rich history of
journalism, some view it in
terms of technological
progress—for example, the
dramatic impact of bigger,
faster printing presses.
Others see journalism as a
specialized form literary
expression, one that’s
constantly evolving,
reflecting and shaping its
culture.
Others see it as an
inspiring quest for free
speech, an endless power
struggle between Authority
(trying to control
information) and the People
(trying to learn the truth).
Which brings to mind the
words of A.J. Liefling:
“Freedom of the press is
guaranteed only to htose
who own one.”
In the pages ahead, we’ll
take a quick tour of 600
years of journalism history,
from hieroglyphics to
hypertext: the media, the
message and the politics.
Technical advances and
brilliant ideas forged a new
style of journalism. It was a
century of change, and
newspapers changed
dramatically. The typi
newspaper of 1800 wa
undisciplined mishma
legislative proceeding
long-winded essays a
secondhand gossip. B
1900, a new breed of
tor had emerged. Jour
had become big busin
Reporting was becom
disciplined craft. And
newspapers were bec
more entertaining and
essential than ever, w
most of the features w
expect today: Snappy
headlines, Ads, Comic
Sports pages. And an
“inverted pyramid” sty
writing that made stori
tighter and newsier.
Radio and television
brought an end to
newspapers’ media
monopoly. Why? Well
yourself: Which did yo
Online
repor*ng
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
8

2. 2
From
print
to
the
Web
Media
convergence
Online
storytelling
op9ons
Wri9ng
for
online
media

3. 3
— Online
media
offers
readers
more
variety
and
control
— Naviga9on
crucial
factor
Electronic newspapers may replace dead-
tree newspapers!

4. 4
— Tradi9onal
papers
• Online news sites
Arranging stories!

5. 5
— Need
to
develop
new
ways
to
tell
stories.
— Tomorrow’s
journalists
will
plan
and
produce
news
stories
in
different
ways.
To fulfill the potential of new media!

6. 6
— Timeliness
— Print
uses
large
photo
to
catch
eye;
Web
uses
smaller
image
— Print
uses
smaller
text;
Web
uses
larger
text
Navigating online news sites!

7. 7
— Home
page
is
gateway
to
online
news
— Must
be
comprehensive
— Must
be
easy
to
navigate
— Compelling
headlines
for
links
Navigating online news sites!

8. 8
— Gatekeeper
(past)
— Journalist
shares
with
readers
informa9on
to
which
only
she
has
access.
The role of the journalist is changing along
with the media !
Navigator (present)
Journalist helps to
guide readers through
an ever-increasing body
of information on a
specific topic.

9. 9
— Time/date
— Index
— Lead
story
— Page
design
for
single-­‐
screen
display
— Naviga9on
buXons
Key home page elements!
• Search engine
• Ads/promotions
• Interactive extras
• Links
• Footer

10. 10
— Newsroom
convergence
— Journalists
from
different
media
share
same
workspace.
Technological innovations transforming
21st-century journalism!
Newsgathering
convergence
Reporters, editors and
photographers
collaborate on reports.

11. 11
— Content
convergence
— Final
story
combines
— Text.
— Images.
— Blogs.
— Podcasts.
— Slideshows.
Technological innovations…!

12. 12
— Use
print
to
explain.
— Use
mul9media
to
show.
— Use
interac9ves
to
demonstrate
and
engage.
New forms of news deliveries!

13. 13
— Video
— Audio
— Webcams
and
Webcasts
— Podcasts
— Animated
graphics
• Archives
• Other
Web
sites
• Organiza9ons
• Editorials
and
columns
• Addi9onal
story
elements
Multimedia Interactive Links
• Live
chats
• Reader
feedback
and
comments
• Online
polls
and
quizzes
• Downloads

14. 14
— Who
creates
blogs?
— Journalists
— Par9cipants
in
breaking
news
— Bloggers
who
monitor
what’s
new
and
newsworthy
— Are
blogs
important?
— Everyone
has
a
voice
BLOGS: a way to add viewpoints!

15. 15
— “Chunk”
your
informa9on.
— Tweak
your
type
to
make
it
easier
to
scan.
— Rethink
what
a
“story”
is.
Tips for creating readable, user-friendly
news stories for Web sites
5
• Enhance your story with
extra elements.
• Collaborate.

16. 16
— Photocopy
page
161.
— Ask
the
team
what’s
this
story
really
about.
— Summarize
in
25
words
or
less.
Online package planning guide!
• Think like a reader.
• Organize.
• Distribute copies.