Third research stage: manipulations of online news stories

The first two research stages of my ph.d. (content analysis of features of online news media and online survey towards the differences in use of online news media and features) are finished, so it is time to move on to the last stage. In this phase I will test the effect of multimedia, interactivity and hypertext on the information-processing and the knowledge outcome during online news consumption. To test the impact of these formal and structural features, we have to set up some manipulations so that there are different versions of online news stories, one version with an adequate degree of multimodality, interactive features and hyperlinks, and another representing the same story but in a standard (or better offline) version without the key features of online news. We will conduct some knowledge and eye-tracking experiments to test the online consumption of different stories presented in different versions.

But since I'm not a webbuilder, I needed someone who could make the manipulations of the online stories. I needed a website that uses already as many as possible features of multimedia, interactivity and hypertext, so that it won't be a big problem to ad some specific features like reactions, videos etc. Therefore, I decided to ask The Persgroep (editor from HLN.be, demorgen.be en VTM.be) to make the manipulations. After a very interesting and stimulating meeting with Gert Francois (manager New Media) and the webmaster, they decided to help me out and to make the adjustments on the selected online news articles I found on the internet. These manipulated online articles will be used in the experiments that will be conducted on 7-8-9 may.

A special thank you goes out to The Persgroep!

Online-only videos in digital newspapers

Most of the Flemish digital newspapers and news sites use videos to illustrate the articles and to cover the news. Companies like Zoomin offer the possibility to digital news sites to buy videos and to put them online. Also video platforms like Youtube or GarageTV makes it possible to refer to some footage of a news event. There are also sites that link to videos that are made by television stations. Few of the news sites however make videos on their own, with the specific purpose to use them only for the website. With regard to digital newspapers, GVA started a few months ago with 'news in pictures', but this is more a slideshow of pictures then a real video. Therefore, I'm happy to see that Nieuwsblad.be and De Standaard Online started using online-only videos. Hopefully, this will be a stimulans for other digital newspapers to make videos on their own. After all, all you need is a simple camcorder, some(free) editing software and ten creative minutes.

VRT on VMMa

We all know that youtube is a bless for newssites that want to illustrate their stories with some videos. Sometimes, the use of Youtube movies is not as logic as it may seem at first sight. See for example this article about yesterday's UEFA match between Anderlecht and Bordeaux. At the end of the article, one can click on a youtube movie. The strange thing is that HLN.be (which is a newssite of de media group VMMa that also has television channel VTM in its holding) is presenting the highlights of the match which was originally broadcasted by the public television VRT, in the offline world the competitor of VTM. So the voice over is in fact a VRT reporter, and this on a VMMa website. Why doesn't HLN.be link to the short highlighs of the match as it was used in the news on VTM? With the voice-over of the own VTM reporter? Is it a technical problem? If anyone knows why, please email me.

I also wonder if this use of embedded link to the highlights of VRT isn't a infringement of the copyright. In the offline world, every television station has to pay a certain amount to the competitive company which has bought the broadcasting rights of that game. And I assume HLN.be did not pay a fee for putting this link online.

deredactie.be

Monday will be d-day for the VRT who is changing is website from vrtnieuws.net to deredactie.be I've always been a great fan of the newswebsite of the Belgian public service broadcaster and I'm looking forward consuming the news from deredactie.be Here you can see a preview of what the site will look like. I've read in the newspaper that the black banner on top of the page will also be part of the decor of the news programs on vrt television. Apart from that, also the use of anchors' faces on the website is remarkable.

User-generated photo

Today on demorgen.be and hln.be, a picture shows the damage after a car accident in Belgium. The picture is obviously of inferior quality than a professional photo. As we can see, the photo is taken from the inside of a car passing by. The eye witness seems to be Sam Hermans. I think this is one of the first times a famous, traditional newspaper uses user generated pictures to illustrate an article and note the author's name. If anyone knows more examples of the use of user-generated pictures by traditional digital newspapers where also the name of the amateur appear on the site, feel free to mail me the links.