News Formats: Online HTML

Format:

HTML enriched with streaming audio and video. May borrow elements from a paper or broadcast version but has a unique layout.

Examples:

For links to online direct titles, use ABYZ News Links. Organized geographically.
Direct access: The New York Times, Ithaca Journal, Le Monde, La Tercera.com, Shanghai Daily.com, CNN, BBC.

Content:

Free Web access; full access may require registration. Same publisher as paper version. May be the current issue only. Lots of color and online-specific advertising that differs from the print advertisements. Very broad representation of geography and language; only the current day or very recent issues available for most titles; sometimes less available content than the print version; unique content: video and audio files, more color photos; usually the current day or week only is available free.

Pros:

Timely: the most current news available outside Twitter (sometimes articles are time stamped and updated serially); unique content, sometimes searchable; free. Access to many titles that are not available to us in print.

Cons:

Often contains current content only, usually less content than print or broadcast; ephemeral. Currently a source of controversy due to the volume of fake news published through online, news-like sources.

Access rating:

Mixed. Good for very current issues. Spotty archiving of past content. Networked.

Preservation rating:

Mostly poor. Many sites have current or recent issue only. Retention time usually not specified.

Notes:

The only format that offers streaming audio and video. Concept of editions is gone because of ongoing updating. International coverage is far beyond that is available in other formats; Chile, for instance, has over 60 newspapers available online.