INTERACTIVITY & DIVERSITY

If people prefer to be passive in their media consumption, how are they behaving in the active environment of the internet?

Communications technology allows people to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Are they talking?

Ease of publication and a lack of centralized regulation enables a multitude of viewpoints to be heard. Is anyone listening?

People can access primary sources to get unfiltered, unbiased information. Are they doing this?

September 11th

After September 11th, 58% of online Americans went to specific news sites with which they were familiar.

<< Pew Internet Report: The Commons of the Tragedy >>

Pew Internet Project study indicates that while people used the internet less after the terroist attacks, use as a social communication tool increased (although the percentage taking advantage of "interactivity" still quite low).

<< Pew Internet Report: How Americans Used the Internet After 9/11 >>

Election News

Audience for Online Election News

Types of news sites people primarily visit for election news

Online Activities for those seeking election news:

People are not accessing primary sources of information. They are still relying on journalists to gather and interpret news.

People's choice of traditional media sites follows a similar pattern to offline media consumption patterns

People aren't interacting with each other or directly with candidates.

<< Pew Research Center Election 2000 report >>

However, Neumann also suggested the use of new media would be evolutionary, not revolutionary...

The Flip Side: Media's acceptance of interactivity

Major media organizations with online discussion forums and chats have policies that allow them to censor postings by readers. They term it "exerting editorial control"! Interesting position to be taken by the "protector of free speech".

Some organizations have shut down their discussion forums (LATimes) or are considering it (DallasNews.com, DenverPost.com)

Byline links to reporter's email - many leading news organizations do not provide them (MSNBC, CNN, USA Today, WashingtonPost, NYTimes), citing potentially overwhelming volume of email.

<< ONA's Digital Journalism Credibility Study >>

So if the mass audience is a little slow to take advantage of the interactivity and continues to traffic traditional news media sites, can they at least find channel and information diversity?