Journalism: New forms: Differences, Similarities, and Preference

As time has passed, news companies have come to use many different forms of media to get the news out to the world. News companies want to give consumers options for receiving news that are comfortable and that can easily fit into the consumer’s daily lives. Today we have the option to receive our news from magazines, radio broadcasts, newspapers, television programs, the internet, and many, many more. With so many options to choose from, which should we pick? What are the differences and similarities between the major news media forms that help the consumer to decide which form is best fit for them to use? There are many differences between the major news forms (television, radio, newspaper, and Internet); what are those difference? Starting with newspapers, the consumer cannot receive an instant news update like they could with the radio, television, or internet, but instead they must wait for the next print run. The radio, does not give its consumer a visual experience and the listener must rely on the broadcaster to create a mental picture. Also, with the radio the listener cannot pursue the information for themselves, but instead, the listener must again rely on the broadcaster to get the point across and cover all the details. With television, one can receive a visual and verbal experience, but is required to be near a TV. Also, with receiving news from television one cannot choose the topics of which the broadcaster is covering and therefor you may not get to hear every news update. With the Internet one can get the widest range in news coverage and in many different forms; visual, verbal, and textual forms. The user can also pursue whatever news topic or information he wants to receive. What are some of the similarities between the news forms of the radio, television, internet, and newspaper? One of the biggest similarities in the different news forms is the essential issue of credibility. Whatever news form one chooses to use the issue of whether a source is credible or not is always present; therefor one must carefully question and decide if the news source they use is trust worthy. Other similarities in the major news forms are the variety of topics and sources. There are so many different news companies to choose from, with many different new topics to cover; all the consumer must do is pick which one interests them most. When picking a news form to receive new updates from, it is important that it fits into my daily schedule and it is something I have access to whenever I want or need it. I prefer to receive my news from the internet more than any other news form. I am on my laptop every day for school, so I can easily access the internet to receive new updates. Using the internet to receive news doesn’t conflict with my daily schedule, like a television program or radio broadcast would; and I can go back to whatever site I need to and view the information as many times as I want. Also unlike a newspaper, I can receive instant updates from the internet, instead of having to wait till the next print run. I also can receive a visual, verbal, and textual experience, which is a combination of the different news forms. The Internet is just a better fit for me than the radio, television, and newspaper. As you can see, today we have many options for receiving news. There are many differences in the way certain news forms cover the news, which have pros and cons that help people to decide how they receive their news. What are always constant in the different news forms are the variety of sources and topics covered, and the issue of credibility. People have so many news choices to choose from and it is important to the form that best fit into our daily lives. While the internet may seem like the best choice for getting ones news because of its wide range of info, it may not work for everyone. Everyone has their own preference to which news form they choose.