News Formats: Broadcast, Cable, Streaming

Format:

Broadcast and cable. Internet streaming audio and video is available to cable subscribers for the networks involved but usually not the general public. See the Online HTML tab.

Examples:

Radio and television news services: broadcast, satellite, and cable. National Public Radio, CNN, MSNBC, BBC World, ESPN.

Content:

Text plus video, audio, and still images.

Pros:

Current. Widely available.

Cons:

On the air and cable broadcasts are not usually available in libraries.

Access rating:

Good.

Preservation rating:

Poor, but improving. Full broadcast often not archived or not available to the public. Some content preserved as text transcripts in aggregators (Lexis Uni, Access World News), available as sound files free or for purchase, and in Television News Archive, Vanderbilt University. NPR National Public Radio archives audio and provides free streaming access (click on the Programs & Podcasts link).

Notes:

Some web versions of newspapers preserve their streaming video and audio (i.e., The New York Times).