Chapter 11 Summary

This time the book widens its focus again and looks at commentary for cyberspace and broadcast news.

The Internet is a medium that allows for long-form writing and a faster way to get stories to readers. Studies have shown that readers spend less time reading specific pages on a website. However, space is not at a premium like it is in newspapers and magazines.

This allows writers to go more in-depth in their coverage. The reader can choose to move on when ready, usually through hyper-links the writers place within their stories to related topics.

The Internet also provides a unique opportunity for bloggers. Here, anyone can be journalist and even a watch dog of the media. Jack Shafer is mentioned as an example for taking a New York Times article about sex slavery to task.

Journalists must use the Internet differently than papers and still maintain impact. Readers want information on the Internet now, not at 6 p.m.

Writers need to uses certain tricks to get that impact. One of the most important, is getting reader interaction. Writers can use comment boards, polls, slide shows, and live chats to achieve this. How far they go is really limited only by the amount of time they can put into it.

Broadcast news writing has other challenges. The author notes that Broadcast commentary is disappearing. This is in part due to profit-driven radio and what the listeners want to here.

When it is possible to give commentary on the radio, the writers must use sparing language that is good for the ears, not the eyes. Pacing and understanding is important. In short, say it in 150-200 words, not 500.