Neel Sanghvi

April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

Online journalism was a class offered to us in FLAME, in our third trimester this
academic year. As over the years everything we know has slowly shifted to a digital
plane, the movement of traditional journalism to digital and online journalism is also
clearly visible. The Internet turns our planet into a global village; it makes
information and data easily accessible to everyone, everywhere. Thus journalism
reaching out to the world with the Internet as its medium was inevitable. Its from
here that it exploded, never to return to its primordial forms again.
To start off we must first answer the question, what is journalism? Journalism is any
form of non fiction or documentary narrative that reports or analyzes facts and
events firmly rooted in time (either topical or historical in nature) which are selected
and arranged by reporters, writers and editors to tell a story from a particular point of
view.
In the online context journalism refers to news reports which are produced and
distributed through the medium of Internet. The news published online comes from
various sources and does not necessarily appear in mainstream media that is
television, newspaper and radio.

Journalism has traditionally been published in print, presented on film, and broadcast
on television and radio. "Online" includes many venues. Most prominent is the World
Wide Web, plus commercial online information services provided by newspaper
giants like TOI. Simply internet services such as the email also plays a big role in
online journalism.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

There are several elements of online journalism which create a distinct difference
from traditional media.
1. Online journalism can be published in real time, updating breaking news and
events as they happen. Nothing new here -- we've had this ability with
telegraph, Teletype, radio, and TV. Just as we gather around the TV or radio,
so we can gather and attend real-time events online in chat rooms and
auditorium facilities.
2. Online journalism also takes advantage of shifted time. Online publications
can publish and archive articles for viewing now or later, just as print, film, or
broadcast publications can. WWW articles can be infinitely easier to access, of
course.
3. Online journalism can include multimedia elements: text and graphics
(newspapers and books), plus sound, music, motion video, and animation
(broadcast radio, TV, film), 3D, etc.
4. Online journalism is interactive. Hyperlinks represent the primary mechanism
for this interactivity on the Web, linking the various elements of a lengthy,
complex work, introducing multiple points of view, and adding depth and
detail. A work of online journalism can consist of a hyperlinked set of web
pages; these pages can themselves include hyperlinks to other web sites.
5. Traditional journalism guides the reader through a linear narrative. Online
journalists lets readers become participants, as they click their way through a
hyperlinked set of pages. Narrative momentum and a strong editorial voice
pull a reader through a linear narrative.
6. With interactivity, the online journalist can pre-determine, to a certain extent,
the reader/participant's progress through the material, but manifold navigation
pathways, branching options, and hyperlinks encourages the reader/participant

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

to continue to explore various narrative threads assembled by the

reporter/writer/editor.
7. Readers/participants can respond instantly to material presented by the online
journalist; this response can take several forms. Email to the reporter or editor
resembles the traditional letter to editor of print publications, but email letters
can be published much sooner online than in print.
8. Online journalists can also take advantage of threaded discussions that let
readers respond immediately to an article, and to the comments of other
readers, in a bulletin board-style discussion that can be accessed at any time.
Readers can become participants in the ongoing co-creation of an editorial
environment that evolves from the online journalist's original reporting and the
initial article. Blogs (short for "Web log", a Web-based journal) make this
easy.
9. Even though online journalism is quick and updated on a real time basis, the
accuracy of the news can sometimes be compromised to achieve this goal. To
verify the information being published online in a short span of time is a
difficult task and in order to keep up with rival news pubishers several
journalists publish news online without verifying the source and authenticity
of the source.

10. Since the news published online can sometimes be unverifiable it can have a
dangerous effect on the audience or the parties involved in the news reported.
For instance, on CNNs iReport a user published that Steve Jobs suffered from
a cardiac arrest in 2008 which led to Apples stock to have a 5.4% decline in
their shares.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

How has the Internet affected print journalism?

Internet today is considered the fastest source for gathering news compared to
traditional ways such as print and broadcast journalism. In a few seconds you become
aware of every event happening in any part of the word through social media
platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Unlike print journalism where you
have to wait for a considerable amount of time.
Even for journalists working for newspapers, Internet has become their first source of
referral to update themselves on the global platform. Every single person online is a
source of information as they upload their content online. Journalists can thus use this
information to create news from this content or even about the content they observe
online.
Furthermore, another disadvantage which print journalists face is being available at
the location where a particular event is taking place. However, through the internet
journalists do not have to be physically present to report news. Through news already
published online or Skype interviews journalists can gather news and report it from
their desks itself.

What influences do online journalists have on their audiences, in comparison to mass

media journalists?
While audiences for online journalism remain smaller than the audiences for mass
media journalism, online journalists have the same influence on their audiences that
mass media journalists have -- by choosing which stories to report; by choosing which
facts, quotes, and other story elements to include and which to exclude; by choosing

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

to tell the story from a particular point of view. The Web's interactivity and
hyperlinking gives the journalist more opportunities to examine multiple points of
view in a particular piece than traditional, analog media. The lack of serious space
limitations permits online journalists to develop a story more fully and to publish
source documents and background material.

Will online journalism lead to the demise of some traditional publications?

Perhaps. Some web publications will do a better job of creating profitable
relationships with customers than print publications, especially those that do a good
job of identifying audiences who are on the Web. Print publications may lose
customers to Web publications if they don't find ways to deliver news and information
and services to those Web-savvy customers in print as well as on the Web.

How reliable is online information?

It's a mixed bag, and should be treated the same way that professional journalists treat
any other information that they find in the course of reporting a story. Good, reliable
editing and filtering of information becomes ever more important on the Web, where
anybody can publish anything and make it look substantial. Editorial "branding"
becomes crucial.

What is the future of online journalism?

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

Traditional news gathering organizations, publishers, and broadcasters will continue

to enlarge their efforts on the Web, and this big money journalism will take advantage
of higher Internet bandwidth and new technologies (streaming audio and video,
"push", etc.) to recreate the traditional broadcast approach on the Web. Blogs have
also become a popular venue for ordinary people to engage in online journalism.
Meanwhile, both within those big organizations and outside them, journalists will
continue to experiment and discover how best to use the native capabilities of the Web
-- hyperlinks, interactivity, personalization, community, threaded discussions, etc. -to create new, hybrid editorial environments in which readers become "co-creators"
along with the journalist, bringing their responses, questions, experience, to add to the
story threads that the professional journalist launches.

An online journalist is a person who is used to fitting stories into a limited amount of
space now must adjust to the idea of unlimited space," said Boyd. "When you give the
whole text of a press conference, this is very popular. Hundreds of people want to see
it. This is something that was completely impossible up until now," said Boyd. "Space
restrictions are more acute online than in hardcopy," Estrin said. "You are limited by
the size of your monitor. How long are you willing to keep reading online? How many
screen loads go by before you get tired?" he asked.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
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Online Journalism

27 th

"I'm more used to reading longer articles than most people. But when I get to a long
article, I often hit the print button and take it to the bathroom or something." Hence,
according to Estrin, space is a more severe restriction online.
"There is an unlimited amount of space online. The news hole, the blank space in a
newspaper that you fit around the ads, is limited in hardcopy. But online it just takes
up room on the server. You're not using paper," said Kilsheimer.

The Significance of Writings Blogs

Blogs are web logs which can be created by anyone pertaining to any topic or
information. They can be personal, containing information related to an individuals
daily life, hobbies and political views or even be personal reviews about movies,
gadgets or social events they attended. They can be updated on a daily basis or a fixed
interval of time decided by the author. Blogs are a unique space where the author can
express anything and everything.
Through blogs you can interact with a wide variety of audience and through your
content you get the opportunity to promote yourself and your work on a negligible
cost.
Today blogs are being used for a variety of purposes and not just by individuals.
Companies and brands have taken to blogging to communicate and interact with their
customers and other stake holders. They also use blogs to promote their product or
service or launch new products. Newspapers incorporate blogs to their main website
to offer a new channel for their writers.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

Blogs have also opened up a new venue for advertisers to advertise their products on
blogs which have a high number of followers and are significantly popular. Thus
blogging has now become a very profitable source of income for several people who
can charge such advertisers for ads on their blogs.
Platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and several others give individuals the
opportunity to blog and some of them also charge for premium services.
Blogging does not only consist of writing articles online but also incorporate
photographs, audio-visual content as well. It can be considered a very well rounded
source for collecting information as you are presented with all types of information
sources.
The significance of blogs was further cemented in our online journalism class through
the activity of writing our own blog which consisted of a central topic such as The
Infrastructure of Maharashtra Sucks where we were asked to create 10-15 written
blog posts and a video interview of an expert giving their opinion on the given topic.
Through this activity I was able to learn the significance of the blogging platform and
the wonders it can do in the field of online journalism.
Like any other practice even blogging comes with a set of ethical standards which
may differ between news reporters and countries. The code of ethics include language
on verification, fairness, independence and accountability.
Through blogs news organizations have achieved a more transparent front where they
are able to discuss what really goes behind the scene and the decision processes

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

within an organization. Through the interaction with the readers in the form of
comments they are given an entity which they can hold accountable for the content
they have published.
The ease of editing on blogs have also given way to immediate corrections and
updating the content making it more accurate.
With the freedom of expressing virtually anything online comes the responsibility of
expressing anything personal, opinions that could raise questions about their
independence. Reporters must be careful as they can be associated to huge news
corporations and what they write can affect the reputation of the company.
Blogs are traditionally less formal than typical news stories and are often expressed in
a first person narrative. Reporters who use blogs also let their real opinions and
personalities come through their posts which sheds a more realistic light upon them.
But it can be difficult to show a human side while maintaining enough detachment to
avoid charges of bias, and too much blog "attitude" may alienate some readers of the
core news product. Therefore tone of the article becomes a very important ethical
standard which must be regarded highly.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

What is the significance of social media platforms in promoting online journalism?

Since the very inception of Google in 1998, a great wave of innovation hit the web as
it was introduced to a very unique form of social media.
Social media is all about networking and communicating not just through text but
other forms like video, blogs and pictures. With the creation of sites such as
Facebook, Myspace, Linked and Twitter status updates or sharing of posts have also
become a common phenomenon.
What truly links social media to journalism is its widespread reach as a
communication and news-breaking tool.
It is not only about global news but also personal news which has become accessible
through social media platforms. The barriers to entry are lowered as anyone having
access to a internet connection and a device which is equipped to access the internet
can post anything online for the world to see.
Social media has completely transformed how one views news today. Anything which
is breaking the internet or going viral is considered to be news worthy and authentic.
It has also impacted how one presents, gathers and distributes news online.
Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be seen as the most path
breaking in context to breaking news. Several incidents such as the Jakarta Bombings

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

or the 2008 US Presidential Elections show that sometimes news first hits the web not
through news organizations but through individuals who happened to be there.
Through these platforms every individual becomes a journalist in their own right.

On Facebook several news organizations such as Hindustan Times, Times of India,

The Hindu and even international news organizations have made a strong online
presence through their official pages. In order to further their reach and increase
traffic on their websites they post news stories and articles on Facebook or even share
links on sites like Twitter.
According to a recent report by the BI Intelligence, it was reflected that

60% or so of social media time is spent not on desktop computers but on

smartphones and tablets.

Americans spend more time on social media than any other major Internet
activity, including email.

Facebook attracts roughly seven times the engagement that Twitter does, when
looking at both smartphone and PC usage, in per-user terms.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

With such findings it can be suggested that the future generations are going to be
immersed in the digital evolution and online journalism is becoming a necessity for
survival for various news corporations.
Furthermore there are several news aggregators who exist solely online. Websites
such as Buzzfeed, Scoop Whoop, The Logical Indian are a few to name who bring to
surface news which is diverse in nature. The topics they cover range from particular
citizens or cities or the entertainment industry other than politics.

What are digital copyright laws?

Copyrights are a set of exclusive rights granted by law to the creators and producers
of forms of creative expressions such as literary, artistic, musical and cinematographic
works. These rights bestow on the copyright owner the control over the use of his or
her works like their reproduction and distribution for a limited duration.
In India, the pioneering act which brought copyright into existence is The Copyright
Act of 1957. The Act protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works
and cinematograph films and sound recordings from unauthorized uses. The Act has
been amended several times to take in account the rapidly advancing digital age.
Briefly, the amendment made to the act in 2012 gives fair provisions for digitally

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

storing a particular work of art and also holds Internet Service Providers reliable for
any violation of the Act.

What are the consequences of violating copyright laws?

Violating copyright laws is a major offence as it disrespects an individuals work and
according to the Indian Law there are several provisions through which an author or
artist can be justly served.
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works covered by
copyright law, in a way that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights,
such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative
works. In the online context, unauthorized reproduction and distribution of content is
referred to as piracy which is one of the leading factors for losses suffered by the
author.
The copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced,
distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the
permission of the copyright owner.
The copyright owner has the liberty to take legal action against the person who has
violated the copyright and is entitled to injunctions, damages and accounts.
Additionally if the person intentionally violates copyright laws then under Section 63
of the Copyright Act is considered to commit a criminal offence.
The consequences for violating the Act consist of being imprisoned for a period of six
months with the minimum fine for Rs 50,000 and if the person is caught for the
second time, the time served in prison is increased to an year and the fine is increased

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
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Online Journalism

27 th

to Rs 1, 00,000. The police inspectors are also liable to seize all the plagiarized copies
of the work and also discontinue their presence on every medium they have been
published

or

distributed.

The Impact of Striking Down Section 66

Very recently the draconian Section 66A was struck down by the Supreme Court as it
had led to several unjust arrest of people for posting content which was deemed
allegedly objectionable on the Internet.
It is clear that Section 66A arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately invades the
right of free speech and upsets the balance between such right and the reasonable
restrictions that may be imposed on such right, said a Bench of Justices J.
Chelameswar and Rohinton F. Nariman.

The controversial section has long been decried by activists, freedom of speech and
internet freedom campaigners as being aimed solely at muzzling dissent and
differences of opinion on the internet.

Firstly, we should know what Section 66A was to truly understand the impact its
removal has had on online journalism. Section 66A was an amendment which made to
the IT Act in 2008 and the Act was passed in the year 2000. The section states that:"Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device
a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing
annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation,

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
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Online Journalism

27 th

enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently makes by making use of such computer
resource

or

communication

device,

c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing
annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient
about the origin of such messages shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to two three years and with fine.

In the recent years this law had been used at several occasions to arrest people who
had posted critical or divergent political views. One of the instances being two girls
who had been arrested upon posting a Facebook status which expressed disregard for
Bal Thackrey as it had resulted in the cancellation of a music concert.
The very essence of this act threatened the fundamental right to freedom of expression
as you could be arrested for any word or sentiment which went against a political
party or a famous personality. This in fact could be considered the highest form of
censorship towards an individual and also put his life at stake.
The removal of this act has brought a great wave of relief and the importance of the
digital evolution and its significance in the ever evolving digital era.

In conclusion, from the course Online Journalism taught by Professor Pradyuman

Maheshwari, I was able to become aware of the significance and rise of the digital
age. Reading or watching news is a very important part of our lives as it keeps us
updated on the events which are taking place around us. Through journalism which is
practiced online anybody can become a journalist and with powerful social media
platforms like Facebook and Twitter this opportunity has become better than before.

Neel Sanghvi
April 2015
LE 4
(64756)

Online Journalism

27 th

We live in an age where we are becoming part of a participatory culture and where an
ordinary individual has now has the ability to control media and share their own
stories

in

powerful,

innovative

and

creative

way.