A FINE LINE

The line is blurring. Print and online are evolving together as changes in production capabilities, and even simply consumer competence and expectations, results in more experimentation and media diversification. We have noted that citizen journalism has become a norm in the online world of news and information, but has this notion of 'user created content' and the associated multimedia options, resulted in a lack of distinction between news and opinion? Is there a lack of clarity between the subjective and opinionated content and the objective, quantifiable news that only a decade ago was essentially all we were able to consume? Like a see-saw the industry is in balance or perhaps, as trends indicate (http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/051208berger/), there are dominant forces emerging. The plethora of multimedia, however, lends weight to the thought that the news is becoming a form of 'info-tainment'. We have seen this trend emerge via the popularity of sites such as Youtube. The winner of the NPPA multimedia contest (nppa.org) was a perfect example of the fine line that exists between news and opinion and the lack of consensus opinion that inhibits a clear distinction. The world now revolves around the widespread adoption of constantly superseded technologies. So are 'artistry' and innovation becoming the 'latest fad' and in fact taking prominence away from 'hard news'? We want things quicker, more detailed and interesting but perhaps it is time to take a step back to reconsider the balance that needs to be established between the subjective and objective before news itself becomes an indistinct blur.