TV news sites "best destinations" on election night
The best destinations for news on Election Night 2006 were the Web sites of TV news operations, according to a new report from the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "They offered a combination of quick access to results plus the ability of users—largely through access to exit poll data or Associated Press material—to plumb a wealth of statistical information on their own."
The Aggregator Sites: Aggregators such as Google and Yahoo!, might seem ideal destinations for such evenings, as they can assemble a good deal of information quickly. But some sites are grappling with this opportunity far better than others in getting beyond the grab bag nature of aggregation. The recipe for success may involve something not everyone is offering—a combination of human editors and the judgment to leave things out. This night, that probably described Yahoo! most of all.The Blogosphere: Despite the intrigue they brought to the problems and media mishaps of the 2004 election, bloggers were caught somewhat empty handed by the relatively error-free election of 2006. Some, such as Wonkette, got downright cranky that no one was leaking examples of fraud and abuse. Others just got nasty about who was winning and losing. The blogs, in the end leaned toward opinion this night than information.
Newspaper Web sites: Newspapers online appear to be a medium in transition. They are still struggling with the possibilities and risks of real-time news, something television has more experience with. The ones that did better at getting the news out quickly, especially the Washington Post, relied on the Associated Press and others for much real time news to the Associated Press or others, for much of their real-time news, using their own brand-name reporters for features like live discussions with users or working on stories that would appear the next day or beyond....
The Television Web sites, in contrast, may have offered the best combination. While they varied in design and ease of use, the sites set up by some TV news operations represented some of the strongest destinations of the night, coupling speed, organization and depth. It may be that they have finally found a platform through which they can deliver the heavy volume of information they had always collected but had never felt they could offer viewers on television. Consider the fact that the Drudge Report by evening’s end mostly offered readers links to several TV sites.
Nov 27, 2006 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(0)
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