Internet: Impact on the Media

The Internet has had a tremendous impact on the traditional news media and led to convergence—a blurring of boundaries between different mediums so that content can be accessed across them. All types of news media now have a web presence that allows them to extend their reach to a broader audience and to convey the news in different modalities, including text, audio, and video. Some of the key characteristics of online news media are personalization and interactivity, the reduced importance of geography, and the rise of the 24-hour news cycle. As mobile devices have become commonplace, many news outlets have also developed apps that make it easier for users to access and customize content on smartphones and tablets. This entry discusses the impact the Internet ...