News Formats: Broadcast, Cable, Streaming

Format:

Broadcast and cable content. Internet streaming audio and video that is available to cable subscribers for the networks involved but generally not the general public without a subscription. But note that some content is often available on the web sites for these services.

Examples:

Radio and television news services: broadcast, satellite, and cable. CNN, MSNBC, ESPN.

Content:

Text plus video, audio, and still images.

Pros:

Current. Widely available.

Cons:

On-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 the aggregators Nexis Uni and 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 Podcasts & Shows link).

Notes:

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