Top 10 CyberJournalist Stories of 2001
Key events in the online news world
 

1. War on Terrorism
   The World Trade Center attacks brought record traffic to online news sites  -- in some cases 10 times or more than ever before. Online news site traffic numbers have leveled off since the huge increase after the Sept. 11 attacks, but usage still remains much higher than before. Are these gains permanent? There's a good chance of it, says the Chicago Tribune: "News stories with long cycles, such as the terrorism coverage or Florida vote recount, create fresh use patterns in new audiences, creating a 'step ladder effect' in Internet ratings," said Mark Mooradian, vice president and senior analyst at Jupiter Media Metrix.
   
   But there's no doubt that the event transformed online journalism into an essential news source. "We are no longer an experiment," Online New Association President Rich Jaroslovsky said. ". . . We've begun to see where we fit in in the journalistic landscape: More timely than print, more in-depth than broadcast, more interactive than either. People expect more from us now. They aren't just intrigued by us — they NEED us." Well said.
   
   Take a look at some of the best, most interesting online journalism about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon; links to various archives of the online coverage; stories analyzing the coverage; and links to help you continue to cover this ongoing story.
    
2. Going, Going, Gone
   Two of the oldest original content sites on the Web, Suck and Feed, were "placed on immediate hiatus" due to lack of money. The Web pioneers' edgy content -- at times clever, at times random and rambling -- will be missed. Suck.com, wrote The Washington Post's Joel Garreau, was "the great-granddaddy of all the online newspapers and magazines you see today." 
   
   Salon has launched a new $30-a-year premium service that includes "galleries of erotic art and photography," which sounds an awful lot like a euphemism for porn. Adult entertainment has long been one of the most successful content businesses on the Web, so with the site's shaky finances it's not that surprising. Still, it's a shame the site had to prostitute itself by selling sex to stay afloat. Now there's little free content left on the site worth reading and the site is barely recognizable as the innovator it once was.
    
3. Did Somebody Say, 'Profit'?
   Many online news organizations struggled financially and laid off  workers. But amid the gloom was a glimmer of hope: The New York Times on the Web, which laid off workers in January while celebrating its fifth anniversary online, finally turned a profit in the second and third quarters of the year -- proving it can be done. "Speed, reliability and fluid navigation are crucial to an experience that users and advertisers value," New York Times Digital Chief Executive Martin Nisenholtz said.
    
4. Rise of the Weblogs and "Me-zines"
   While many larger news sites suffered closures and cutbacks, Weblogs and "me-zines" became the hot new fad. Indeed, the Online Journalism Review wrote about how many independent Web publishers are thriving and about KenRadio.com, Metafilter, IWantMedia.com and Kuro5hin -- four small sites doing good journalism on tiny budgets with tiny staffs. "People like playing reporters," said Matt Haughey, creator of the communcal blog Metafilter. "Editors and reporters are always going to remain important. But this is an important supplement."
   
   "Me-zines," too, became increasingly popular, as writers began using personal Web sites as bully pulpits. Mickey Kaus claimed in The New York Times that me-zines can easily turn a profit, pointing to his site's "Pseudo.com, dead," Mr. Kaus said. "Feed, on ice. Inside, sold. Salon, dying. Kausfiles, profitable." (Though SmarterTimes.com pointed out that Kaus must not think very highly of himself, as he hasn't factored the value of his time.)
   
   Even the New York Times jumped on the Weblog bandwagon with its clever new feature, "According to The Times..."
    
5. Big Victory for Writers
   The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that media companies must get permission from free-lance authors before posting their articles to electronic databases -- a victory for both writers and copyright protection on the Internet. Many publishers now say they'll delete all free-lance stories from their electronic archives; the National Writers Union and free-lancers, meanwhile, are encouraging publishers to not do so and instead to negotiate with them.
    
6. Upstarts Win Awards
   The major new sites win most of the traffic, but not all of the awards. It was heartening to see that some of the best work cited in the 2001 Online Journalism Awards came from smaller, lesser-known publications, such as ThemeParkInsider.com, DigitalJournalist.org and 360degrees.org.
    
7. Digital Newspapers
   "The Australian" newspaper launched a digital version, the first major newspaper that can be delivered to customers over the Internet in identical form to the printed version.  Readers can use NewsStand Reader software to view and print exact color facsimiles of the print publication. The New York Times followed soon after. The New York Times Electronic Edition is cheaper than the print edition and downloads automatically. But you can't save copies and it expires after a week. The new edition may win some converts, but as long as the company gives most of its content away for free at NYTimes.com -- a site that's continually updated and designed for Web, not print users -- most online news readers will likely stick to that version.
    
8. Online Journalism Credibility
   The Online News Association revealed preliminary findings from its Digital Journalism Credibility Project, based on nationwide surveys of the public and the media. The authors say the report's key finding is that online readers have yet to make up their minds about the credibility of online news. But the report also says that "the public has a higher opinion of online news sites' credibility than our Old Media colleagues do." Said ONA President Rich Jaroslovsky, "It's confirmation of what I've observed — the group of people who aren't as fully convinced of the bona fides of online journalists are other journalists. Print and broadcast news organizations see us and maybe feel a bit threatened or unsure of where we fit in. The public is more sure about the chops of online news than our colleagues are."
    
9. News Site Exposes Scandal
   The year-old Tehelka.com exposed corruption in India's political and military establishment by capturing on video defense officials accepting bribes for arms contracts — a great example of online investigative journalism. But India's Home Interior Ministry said it would Tehelka.com for its use of prostitutes in its remarkable "Operation West End" series. The reports exposed corruption in the country's political and military establishment by capturing, on video defense officials accepting bribes for arms contracts. "They are trying to muddy the main findings of our expose," Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal told Reuters. It's too early to tell whether Tehelka.com crossed the line in its reporting, or whether the government is simply clamping down on the news organization because of what it uncovered. The former would be a disappointing to what was otherwise great online investigative work; the latter would be a terrible strike against freedom of the press in India.
    
10. Online Publishers Association Formed
    Twelve Internet content companies formed a new group to represent the interest of online publishers "before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public." The founding members of the Online Publishers Association (OPA) include CBS MarketWatch, CNET Networks Inc., Conde Net, ESPN.com, The Industry Standard, KnightRidder.com/Real Cities, MSNBC.com, New York Times Digital, Salon Media Group Inc., USAToday.com, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, and the Wall Street Journal Online. It's not entirely clear how this group will separate itself from the Online News Association, but it appears as though it will focus more on advertising and business issues, while the ONA concentrates more on credibility and quality of work. 

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