The future of mass media.

Ex. 2a, 2b

Q. As more TV content lands on the Web through YouTube, or network and cable TV Web sites, is there any reason to keep the TV? (Sandra Yin, Rockville)

A. Ten years ago, even five, your question would have seemed absurd for a TV lover. Yes, if you wanted to wait for your favorite shows to come out on DVD, and pay a significant amount of money for that privilege, you could dump your TV. To tell the truth, your question is the one that scares television networks, cable companies and advertisers.

Personally, I do not see any threat to television at the moment. Television is developing, it has gone digital and offers new and interesting services. I would still rather watch television on the big screen, particularly now with flat screens, showing programs in high definition. If you're a sports fan, then I'd also hold on to your television. Watching a baseball, football or hockey game in HD is a transformative experience. And if you like the control the DVR gives you (for example, you are able to skip advertisements or watch programmes any time you want), you need to think twice.

Q. I have the most unimaginative question for you: What is the task at hand when you transport your newspaper to the Web? How do you do that?

A. Actually there's nothing unimaginative about the question. But I’ll have to make the answer imaginative. First of all, our mission is to bring the interactivity of the Web to the newspaper and spread journalistic standards and depth to the Web.

Secondly, we want our online newspaper to be timely, lively and to reflect the excitement and dynamism of the Web. One of the best examples of new possibilities is the world of blogs. Blogs allow writers to present news and information in a quick way and conversational tone. At the same time, they allow readers to join in the discussion.

Q. I believe, that in spite of their conversational tone, blogs should keep to high standards of traditional print journalism. But how do you keep a respectful tone in a conversation of hundreds or thousands of readers?

A. That's a challenge we deal with every day and it's one we take very seriously. Our blogs are all overseen by our editors, and every comment by readers is reviewed by our staff to make sure that they are not abusive and are on the topic discussed.

Q. In the digital era news is updated round the clock. For example, when breaking stories appear online, you can always see the time of their last update. How does this continually updated style correspond to the more traditional newswriting process? Do writers spend more or less time working on and improving articles? (Matthew Stoff)

A. I think most news reporters at most newspapers would tell you that the needs of online journalism have greatly changed their jobs in the past decade.

These days, reporters are often asked to file articles to the Web shortly after news events take place. On some breaking stories we expect an extremely quick response. In the competitive news environment, minutes often count.

To help our reporters manage the demands, our newspaper has a small staff of reporters and editors dedicated to online news.

Q: What does going digital mean both for readers and newspaper staff members?

A. Oh, now it takes 30 minutes to read all of my printed local newspaper, this is if you take the time to read the editorial! Since advertisers took away all their classified ads, my paper now makes money by adding photographs to the death notices. Dead people smiling out at you now, that's journalism! Newspapers cut down their size, they become compact, some of them are not daily newspapers anymore. They are issued 3 – 4 times a week. Reporters lose their jobs … The solution of all these problems lies in the future. What’s the future of mass media? I invite you to think about it.

Ex. 2c

Q: What does going digital mean both for readers and newspaper staff members?

A. Oh, now it takes 30 minutes to read all of my printed local newspaper, this is if you take the time to read the editorial! Since advertisers took away all their classified ads, my paper now makes money by adding photographs to the death notices. Dead people smiling out at you now, that's journalism! Newspapers cut down their size, they become compact, some of them are not daily newspapers anymore. They are issued 3 – 4 times a week. Reporters lose their jobs … The solution of all these problems lies in the future. What’s the future of mass media? I invite you to think about it.