Journalists and the Internet

One can describe the Internet as a worldwide system of computers connected indirectly to each other, transferring information in seconds. Most people think the Internet and the World Wide Web is the same thing. However, the World Wide Web, e-mail, Usenet for newsgroups, Telnet, FTP (file transfer protocol) and Gopher are different types of networks on the Internet.

Journalists use the Internet daily as a tool for reporting events and issues comprehensively to viewers and readers. The Internet helps every stage of the reporting process from thinking of a story idea to presenting the story. Journalists constantly go to the Internet to find story topics, identify experts and monitor a subject. They turn to the Internet for ideas on how to tackle broad themes, to find background information on an unfamiliar person or issue and to keep up with developments.

The Internet saves journalists time and news organizations money. Only a few years ago, journalists found information by driving to libraries and other places in the community. Many towns did not have large libraries with reference materials, so reporters had to travel to nearby cities or settle for incomplete information. With the Internet, reporters can find diverse voices and up-to-date information quickly, and at their fingertips. News organizations no longer have to pay journalists to spend as much time out of the office, tracking down information. The Internet enables reporters to write more stories and better stories.

The Internet also has some disadvantages. Journalists may have a hard time sifting through the mountains of knowledge on the Internet. And, much of the information is questionable. Furthermore, journalists should not rely on online sources alone because many important documents are not online.

Several options are available to reporters wanting to find information on the Internet. They can use e-mail, go directly to a Web site, browse the Internet, explore a subject directory or a search engine, participate in a mailing list or read messages in a news group.

E-mail: The advent of telephone service in the 19th century revolutionized newsgathering Electronic mail is doing the same thing at the dawn of the 21st century. Reporters use e-mail to contact hard-to-reach or reluctant sources. Many people travel, but always check their e-mail. Sometimes sources who dodge phone calls or are hesitant to return phone messages will answer a reporter’s e-mail. If a reporter is trying to contact several sources for similar information, e-mail can efficiently send the same message to all of them. E-mail is also a way of keeping in contact with sources, exchanging ideas with colleagues or communicating with readers or viewers.

Reporters are as polite in their e-mails as they are in person or on the telephone. They use a salutation (e.g., “Dear Mrs. Ramirez,”) and identify themselves and the news organization they represent. Usually the background on an event or issue is reviewed before asking several questions. Reporters also give sources their deadline. And, sources should be thanked for their time and expertise. (After all, they are not getting paid to answer the reporter’s questions, but are donating their time.) Do not write in all capital letters as this is often regarded as shouting. Journalists also avoid using acronyms, such as “BTW,” because not everyone knows what they represent (“by the way”). E-mail interviews-or e-interviews-do not replace personal interviews. Reporters learn a lot about sources’ answers through body language and facial expressions. Personal interviews are conversations that offer more information than do answers to listed questions. And, in conversations, sources can give reporters additional insight to events and issues. Finally, e-mail interviews give sources time to carefully prepare and check answers, whereas personal interviews consist of spontaneous responses. Sources can delete words from a computer screen, but find it harder to take back the spoken word.

Journalists can learn a lot about a source from the person’s e- mail address. An e-mail address usually consists of a person’s user ID and the address of the computer that provides the person’s e-mail service, sometimes called a domain. These parts are similar to a person’s name and the postal address where the person receives mail. For example, one of the authors of this textbook had the following as her e-mail address:[email protected]. (This can be read aloud as, “davenport at pilot dot msu dot edu.”) The “@” symbol separates the personal ID and the computer in which the mail resides. The dots separate sections of the computer’s name. Here are what the parts of the address mean for [email protected]:

The .edu at the end describes the type of setting in which the computer is located .edu indicates an educational institution. Other descriptions are:

• Org: nonprofit organization
• Com: commercial organization
• Gov: government
• Mil: military
• Net: network provider or Internet service provider (ISP)
• Int: international organization

A suffix is added at the end to connote addresses in countries outside of the United States. For example:

• ca-Canada
• fr-France
• jp-Japan

The MSU is the registered Internet name of the organization (in this case, Michigan State University) that owns or leases the computer where messages are stored and serves as a gateway to the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique identification number, but most organizations use an alias made up of letters. For example, Scientific Computing and Instrumentation magazine’s unique ID number is 199.100.12.25, but its alias is “scamag.com.”

The word pilot identifies the specific computer on which the user’s account resides. (MSU has many computers on campus.) Many addresses do not include this sub domain because the system automatically knows where to route the message. The davenport is the individual’s personal identification or user name.