Media Blog

Everyone has heard it said that journalism is dying, which in most cases refers to print journalism (newspapers and magazines). In a time where the internet is a central part of most people’s lives and means of everyday communication, it only makes sense that many people would rely on the web to be a source, or for some, the only source for getting daily news.

The main differences between the print version of a publication like the New York Times and it’s online edition is a prime example of what changes are taking place in the world of journalism today and is a hot topic in journalism today as seen in online articles and blogs everywhere.

Probably the most the important difference between the print version and the online version of the New York Times is the writer’s ability to update, edit, or show an example to their reader.

With a print version, a writer can work on an article and it is published; unable to be changed once it is in circulation. There is no way to alter the writing if there is a mistake with the information, it is not possible to keep readers updated on the details of a breaking story throughout the day, and examples the writer may have wanted to include from say, another article, website, or document, cannot be directly shown in their article due to a lack of space. Although this is the way newspapers have always been, times have changed and so has the expectation of the reader.

People now want to have the latest information at their fingertips, they want visual examples if a writer makes a reference to a supplemental document or article within the writing and they want it quickly.

With all of that being said, there are many similarities between what a reader will find in the print and online edition of the paper. When visiting the New York Times website, it is easy to for a reader to view the front page of that days print edition. The same photos can be found online and in print, and the same stories are in both places, but in many cases, the print edition leaves many people wanting more.

For example...When comparing the newspaper for Monday, November 9th to its online version, I noticed quite a few differences. Not only can a reader find extra stories online that either didn’t break in time to be printed, or were left out due to spacial issues, but the website also provided charts, video, audio, visual timelines, links to other writings, and extensive photo galleries that all helped tell a particular story.