TV news is beginning to sound a bit old fashioned. There was a time when TV news, which was produced by people like Edward R. Murrow, used to be the talk of the town. Breaking news came up all over the world and television was one of the best ways for people to learn about what was going on in the world. But when it comes to online tv, people need to understand that it has the potential to reset the traditional channels as we know them.
Online news is already taking away a large portion of television news’ audience. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that online news is available 24 7 and it does not have to adhere to the schedules of advertisements or other cable shows. There are an unlimited number of channels on which anyone can reach just about anything for that period of time.
The internet is probably going to continue to be a valuable source of information for people who want to stay up to date on the news in the future. That being said, it remains to be seen whether online news can take the position of tv news wholeheartedly.
Online news has been good, in the past, at making stories larger than they otherwise would have been. For example, Trent Lott probably would not have lost his prominent position in the senate had not bloggers picked up the news story about his comments at Strom Thurmond’s birthday. But internet news sources have been weaker when it comes to providing original content.
The reason is because online news sources do not have the same credentials as print or television journalists. This means that they have a harder time gaining access and interviews in the media. Will they be able to fill the role of television news? Maybe, but they might also end up kiling off their host.