Convergence of Online and Print Media

Ten years ago, the Internet was used for email and research by academics. Today, the Internet has become something most American households have and many people cannot live without. While this has changed many facets of our lives, the most noticeable change is in the way we get our news. Though papers such as USA Today and the Boston Globe increased their circulation numbers, many papers, including those owned by Gannett have experienced decreased circulation by two percent.[1]

If news consumers obtained their information just from major media websites, this would be an easy phenomenon to trace. However, the ease of obtaining (as well as disseminating) information on the Internet has made the business of news a fragmented one. No longer do text and pictures suffice as news. Major media websites are expected to have news stories complete with pictures, graphics, interactive tools, newstrackers and other bells and whistles. That overwhelms some readers and bores others. Magazines and newspapers with smaller budgets make do with less, but there is still an expectation of functionality appreciated at that level as well. On a different level, there are bloggers, who occasionally break major news stories before the mass media have a chance to. The term "blogger" refers to one who operates a weblog, or better known as, blog. A blogger need not have any kind of press credential nor any type of formal association with a press organization. Some blogs are no more than an individual's private ramblings while other blogs are commonly respected nearly as much as a major media outlet's website. Blogs both offer solace to those who do not agree with major media's take on events as well as take attention away from these major media outlets. However, what does the facility of declaring yourself your own media outlet mean for the major media outlets and for the profession of journalism in general?


DECLINE IN CIRCULATION