Online Journalism in Bangladesh

Online Journalism in Bangladesh

Journalism as it is practiced online."Online" includes many venues. Single

newsroom, multiple media. Web site, news blog, news alert, RSS feed, SMS.

Introduction to Online Journalism

Online = real timeOnline journalism can be published in real time, updating breaking news and events as they happen.

Online vs. traditional journalism

Online = shifted timeOnline publications can publish and archive articles for viewing now or later. WWW articles can be infinitely easier to access.


Online = interactiveOnline journalism is interactive. Interactivity has the potential to make the news reader part of the news experience. Discussion, comments, feedback.

Interactive graphics, databases, etc.


Online = multimediaOnline journalism can include multimedia elements: text, images, graphics, audio, video, animation, broadcast radio- TV-film etc.


24/7 news cycle Update Linear vs. nonlinear Hypertextuality/HyperlinksUnlimited spaceGlobal reachStorage and retrieval


1963: Ted Nelson, Harvard sociology student, Formulates the concept of hypertext.

1965: The first print reference of “hypertext” appears.

1969: ARPANET computer network created by U.S. Defense Dept. The forerunner of today’s Internet.

1971: BBC rolls out a new technology…Teletext.1974 The British Post Office’s Research

Laboratory demonstrates the first Videotext service.

History of online journalism

1981-82: First computer-based dial-up services emerge.

1983: Time Magazine names the computer “Machine of the Year”.

1984: Apple introduces the Macintosh computer.1985: Worldwide 22 nations have videotext & teletext.1986: Computers available in university computer

labs, offices.1988: DARPA makes Internet public.1990 Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web,

Creates Hypertext Markup Language.


1993: Mosaic, first graphical Web browser for Windows. First journalism site on the Web is launched at the University of Florida.

1994: First newspaper to regularly publish on the Web. Palo Alto Weekly begins twice-weekly postings.

1995: Oklahoma City Bombing. The first major event in which people turn to the Web for news.

1997: First time a mainstream news organization breaks a major story on its website — not in its newspaper.


1998: Early reports of U.S. President Clinton’s involvement with Monica demonstrate how a small independent news site can seize a national news agenda.

2000: Mainstream news sites begin to involve their audience.

2001 Sept. 11: Online news operations stumble…then recover…

2003: The dawn of citizen journalism. Blogging software makes web publishing easy.

2004: Bloggers beat the mainstream media to tsunami-ravaged South-East Asia …


2005: Mainstream media start harnessing user-generated video. News sites rush to establish citizen communities.

2006: Bloggers win protections in the U.S. 2007: Citizen media grows in importance.2010: Experiments with mobile.


Sites associated with already existing media organizations.

Sites that exist only on the Internet.

Types of online journalism sites

GoalsNews elementsNews valuesEthicsNews structureSpecial skills Technical knowledge ReadersMobile & Social media

Practice of online journalism

Inverted pyramid, but also other formsLong, short or mini-profileQ &A/FAQ Poll, quiz, List, blog, gameTime lineMultimedia, graphicsLinkInteractivitySummary, highlights

Innovation

Write for readers who scan websites instead of reading thoroughly.

Write short Write to the point. Avoid fluff. Use common language.Use bulleted lists. Write a clear headline. Subhead summarizing the main idea of the

story.

Writing techniques

State the most important information in the first two paragraphs.

Write short & simple sentences. Limit each paragraph to one idea. Write in active voice. Keep paragraphs short. Use conversational writing style.Storytelling style.

Writing techniques

Write brief headlines.Fewer than six to 10 words.Use strong verbs. Put the most important words first.Avoid articles–Don't use A or AN at the start

of a headline.Catchy, stimulating headline.Factual, honest, truthful.

Headlines

Online journalism in Bangladesh

Internet Subscribers in Bangladesh February, 2016

The total number of Internet Subscribers has reached 58.317 million at the end of February, 2016.

OPERATOR SUBSCRIBERMobile Internet 55.512 WiMAX 0.136ISP + PSTN 2.669Total 58.317

• Subscribers in Million


Online journalism is gaining momentum in Bangladesh.

Online news portals are becoming popular quite fast as news sources for the people.

All the print editions have their online editions and they have started to perform like full-fledged online news sites.


All the print editions have their online editions. They have started to perform like full-fledged online news sites.

Audience now depend on the online news portals for immediate source of news.

Apart from the online editions of daily newspapers & TV channels, there are thousands online news portals across the country.


The first online newspaper in Bangladesh is Thedailystar.net. The newspaper opened its online site in 1997.

Prothom Alo started publishing a small scale version online on 4 November 1998.


The first online newspaper without any co-existing print version in Bangladesh was Bdnews24.com. It began operating in August 2004.

Other online newspapers: Banglanews24.com, natunbarta.com, poriborton.com, dhakatimes.com, atnnews.com, primekhobor.com. etc.


Top Sites in Bangladesh

1. Google.com 2. Facebook.com 3. Youtube.com4. Google.com.bd5. Prothom-alo.com6. Yahoo.com7. Blogspot.com8. Bdnews24.com9. Espncricinfo.com10. Wikipedia.org11. Banglanews24.com12. Twitter.com

Prothom-alo.com (1,136)Bdnews24.com (2,386)Banglanews24.com

(2,982)


Global Rank

Technophobia Lack of IT knowledgeSocio-economic conditionLimited reach/Low internet accessNew journalismNo guidelineLack of identityLegal issueEthics

Challenges of online journalism in Bangladesh

Question of credibilityLack of trained and skilled journalistLack the professionalismLack of knowledge in content

development, technology, marketing etc.‘copy-paste’ journalismViolation of copy right lawLack of advertisementsLack of business modelDisorganized and uncertain investments

Challenges of online journalism in Bangladesh

The Independent Publishes Final Print Edition Before Going Digital Only 26/03/2016

Digital Bangladesh = realityLiteracy rate rises to 70 percentPer capita income likely to be $1,466 in

FY15-16Internet users growing fastTechnological AdvancementEvolution of journalismOnline journalism emerging

Prospect

Education

Online Journalism in Bangladesh