The Difference Between an Online News Site and its Printed Version

Although it is the same newspaper company, there is in fact a difference between an online news site and its printed version. After observing both the online news site and printed version of the on-campus newspaper called “The Diamondback”, I noticed the information was the same, but the way it was presented came in very different forms. One obvious difference between the two sources is that the online version allows you to be interactive and click away freely at whatever you may choose to read, unlike the printed version where you must thumb your way through the pages to locate what you would like to read or browse.

For September 25, 2013 there are both similarities and differences between the two versions. In both versions, the two main stories of the day are both portrayed largely in their respective areas. For the online version, the two main stories of the day have their own separate box and are illustrated by two photographs that go hand in hand with the story. The same can be said for the printed version where both the front and back of the paper have the exact same stories with big pictures to illustrate that they are the stories of the day.  Conversely however, although they are the same articles in both copies, the wordings of the headlines do differ. For the campus section, in both versions, the article headline “Getting Big Things Done” is the same throughout whereas for the other cover story in the athletic section differs. In the online version, the headline reads “Kabelik’s 83^rd-minute goal helps No.8 men…” which is indicative that it was soccer and the Maryland team scored but it doesn’t mention whether or not they won or lost and therefore isn’t the most helpful title. However though, for the printed version in big writing the title reads “Nearly Overthrown” which informs the reader that they didn’t lose in what was seemingly a very tight game.

Another similarity between the two versions is that for the most part, every article that is in the printed version also happens to be in the online version, which demonstrates the consistency of the newspaper. In addition to that all of the important articles that show up on the home page of the online version, also appear on both the front and back of the printed version, which shows that these are in fact the most important stories of the day. On the other hand, another difference I picked up on was that compared to the online version, the printed version had a plethora of advertisements strategically located throughout the paper.

Since the content was basically identical I personally believe that the online version appeals more to the online audience because it is a more simple process. First off, you can access it wherever and whenever, and you can easily locate what your interested in by the click of a button or typing in the keyword as opposed to having to search page by page in the printed version. Also, you can interact personally with the online version by tweeting to them and following them at the same time.

The following links should help understand and view the differences between both of the versions of the newspaper.

Diamondback

Maryland Soccer Results

"Addiction" in the Media

According to Dictionary.com, addiction is defined as "The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma."After reading today's article in the Diamondback I was introduced to great insight on the topic at hand. Personally, I would agree with professor Kent Norman and his assertions that instead of being addicted to the internet, it has developed into more of a dependency on the internet. In school, all of the information for our classes is online, our textbooks are online, we register for classes online, this assignment is also due on the internet. In this day in age, the internet is simply unavoidable. An addiction is when you crave something so badly that you can't get through the day without it. I know I could survive without the internet, I attend camp over the summer where I'm without internet for 7 weeks. However for school, I am fully dependent on the internet because I need to access my work. Building off of that, I do think that it is in fact possible to become addicted to the media. When you wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is check Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and  you repeat this process constantly throughout the day; that is the forming of an addiction. On the other hand, it is not an addiction when those aforementioned actions are sprinkled in throughout the day along with the likes of doing work and reading thoughtful articles to gain more knowledge.

I believe to a certain extent that having an electronic device in class is more helpful than distracting. When utilizing it for the right purposes, note taking is simplified and the ability to look up any piece of information is second to none. On the flip side, when you abuse the privilege and peruse social media sites and ESPN than it becomes a distracting issue, not only for one individual but for the whole class who has to see it. I personally enjoy using a device in class because I feel like it helps facilitate my learning and I don't feel like their should be any rules governing any type of technology because at the end of the day it is my future that I'm compromising if I don't pay attention.

Chapter 14

Discussion Question #6: Do you think that a highly interactive medium like video games could have greater affects on media users than a more passive medium such as television? Why or why not?

In today's society, media has risen to levels never seen before. Televisions, computers, phones and  video games have all reached new heights. Personally, I believe that a highly interactive medium like video games does in fact have a greater affect on media users more than passive medium such as television. I feel strongly . One reason is that video games give you the ability to actually control what you do in the game. With games on the market like "Modern Warfare", "Call of Duty", and "Grand Theft Auto" kids are literally being instructed on how to operate weapons, encouraged to kill people, and ultimately get rewarded for doing such in the game. On the other hand with television, although you can't choose what the networks and stations decide to broadcast, you can pick and choose what you want to turn on and watch. Conversely for video games, you only buy it and play it if you like it. Also, on television, unless it is a pay per view channel, it is catered to a national audience, which includes the likes of toddlers, teens, and adults so gory material isn't usually an issue. With video games, there is a rating on the game but the content is still very visual. According to the text, research done at UCLA led by Jeffrey Cole has shown that U.S. network-television programming has gotten somewhat less violent in recent years. I do believe that both of these mediums have large affects on media users, I just believe the affect of video games is significantly stronger.

Link of supporting evidence:
http://www.ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html

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