Thursday, September 26, 2013

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 83rd-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.

2 comments:

  1. Overall, Corey’s ePortfolio was respectable, but needed a few tweaks that could have made it into a well-structured analysis. Firstly, the headline fails in becoming “explanatory”; that is, not much information could be ascertained other than what the writer will be arguing about in their ePortfolio. However, one of the good things is that the author provided supporting evidence in the form of links so it was easy to follow along and actually see which specific things they were talking about.
    The main point of the post was about the differences between online news sites and its printed counterparts. Corey had great comparisons between the online versions of the Diamondback versus its printed version, such as how the online version can be more favorable because it’s easier to use. In relation to the reading, the post can be seen as a representation of the current trend between online media versus printed media. The readings discussed about the steady decline of printed media and an increase in online media because more people are using electronics to get their news.
    One thing that could be helpful is perhaps finding other examples of how online media could be different (or the same) as its printed counterparts. For example, use the online version of the New York Times and the printed version and try to find other aspects that explain why the online version is more desired, such as the length of the content, the similarities between the stories, and its ease of use.

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  2. Corey's ePortfolio was very well written. It was very informative on the difference between the online Diamondback and the paper copy, however, the title was not as explanatory as it could have been. If i just read this headline, I wouldn't be able to take any new information from it. It was a pretty general headline.
    The article was about how the same newspaper company displays their information differently on paper and online. It was very detailed on the little differences between the two mediums. The similarities were also mentioned in the post. There was a good mix of evidence with the points presented. Links to the Diamondback were posted. Corey also added a personal touch by mentioning that he thinks the online version is more appealing.
    The post was very well written, and the only thing that could really be added to help amplify the evidence would be a picture of the paper copy of the article that was mentioned. A reference to a separate newspaper that does similar things could also be helpful.

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