Currently one of the actual trends is the development of information technology, particularly the Internet. Discussions on forums and social networks help journalists to know about preferences of the audience. Online researches on different actual issues are held. Electronic transmission makes it possible to inform the audience more effectively. In this regard, there is a proliferation of online versions of traditional mass media. Online versions of traditional media are, as a rule, supplemented and expanded versions of printed publications, use multimedia capabilities and feedback from the audience. Interactivity is becoming an important component of traditional media communication with Internet users. According to sociological research, they are represented by an age group from 18 to 34 years.
The properties and features of online media
The researchers of the media system have found the properties which distinguish online press from traditional channels of information dissemination. They are multimedia, hypertextuality and interactivity.
Multimedia means that you can give information using not only texts, but also graphics, audio and video materials.
Hypertextuality is the communication system between the individual documents via hyperlinks. It provides a unique opportunity to improve the completeness and accuracy of information.
Interactivity means multilateral information exchange with the audience. It is not only traditional letters to the editorial office.Interactivity in online media allows the user to participate in the creation of content, to discuss the most pressing issues with other readers.
Besides this, online media have the following features:
Efficiency. The network makes it possible to publish news almost instantly. Thus, online texts are always up-to-date.
Unlimited amount of editions and publications. In contradistinction to print media, on the Internet you can place an unlimited number of texts and graphic materials. As a result,the coverage of the target audience is increasing.
The ability to archive. Archives are particularly useful for news websites. When the archive is getting wider, it is formed into a very useful resource.
Availability. The online edition can be read from the any place in the world, only that you need is a computer with the Internet access.
Unrestricted geographical coverage. For online media there is no territorial boundary. Belarusian newspaper can be seen by Spaniards, for example. The only barrier is the language differences.
Low cost price. It allows to enter the Internet media market quickly and easily.
Web portal of “Zvyazda” Publishing house
Zviazda.by is a web portal which unites information space of periodicals belonging to the Publisher “Zvyazda”. They are newspapers «Zvyazda», «Lіm», «Neman», magazines «Polymya», «Maladosts», «Vozhyk», «Alesya», «Rodnayapryroda» and «Byarozka». These editions also have their own web sites. Moreover, Zviazda.by is an independent resource. It is based on the print media, but also it seeks to create its own original content, which is oriented to the several target audiences of the Internet users. The web portal’s distinctive features are interactivity and a large number of uniquehighly professional photos and videos.
On the main page of the portal you can find articles and notes that were published in the newspaper, as well as materials prepared by the Internet editors such as current news, accounts of bloggers and different special projects of “Zvyazda”.
For users who want to view all the materials of the latest newspaper’s edition there are available PDF versions.
In order to read the materials of specific topic, it is convenient to use such headings as «Politics», «Economy», «Society», «Culture», «Health» and other categories, located in the main menu of the site. Here you can find news that is not published in a hard copy. On the page of the special project «Library of «Zvyazda»» you can find information about new books of the Publishing house. Here there are comments and interviews with famous writers, poets, literary critics, information about exhibitions, events, presentations, which are held in the publishing sphere. A great deal of books is located on the web portal, so you can read or to download them.
Several new special projects have recently appeared on the web portal. For example, “Frantsisk Skarina”, where you can read publications, dedicated to one of the first book printers in Eastern Europe,Belarusian humanist, physician, translator.
The central segment of the Internet portal contains the banner of the cultural project «Consonance», which allows the Internet audience to move to a separate site dedicated to the literature and journalism of the countries of the Commonwealth. In the printed version, familiarization with this project is partially available only in the appendix to the newspaper «Zvyazda», in which, for obvious reasons, it is impossible to represent the entire spectrum of literary novelties published in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The online resource gives readers this opportunity.
A special difference between the Internet portal and traditional versions of prints is the large number of additional photographic materials that are not supposed in the conditions of traditional printing, as well as the availability of video (reportage and sketching), independent or accompanying the main text. In addition, the headings «News» and «Popular», located side by side, are convenient for Internet users, since they allow them to receive up-to-date information, which, in turn, is sorted taking into account the reader’s request. This is not possible in the context of traditional media, but it is highly demanded by an audience focused on speed of access, inclusiveness and at the same time brevity of current information.
In addition, users can make suggestions and comments about the web portal. They also can get in touch with the editors by e-mail.
The properties of the audience of online mass media
The social portrait of the network user affects the development of the Internet media market. Such portrait was made by sociologists.
In the article «Print media of Russia and Belarus on the Internet» Alexander Gradyushko, a Belarussian researcher of web-journalism, writes:
«Nowadays the popularity of traditional news papers decreases. So in order to maintain readers, a large number of print media have created quite competitive sites. On the Internet every event is covered in all possible formats, such as texts, photos, videos, infographics, discussions and other. The problem is that not all editors can afford such a multidimensional approach.
The situation abroad is quite different. There the online version contains only 40-50% of the publications which can be found in the print newspaper. Other information is prepared by the journalists exclusively for the site.
There are some mistakes made by the editors of many Belarusian state-owned media. For example, a large array of text on the same page makes it difficult to read. Articles are published without breaking down into paragraphs, the fine print is used. The materials have no illustrations».
It is important to note that there are no such mistakes in “Zvyazda” web portal. In this regard, we note that the Internet portal of the Publishing House «Zvyazda» does not allow such errors in the presentation of information and its graphical presentation: the texts are divided into paragraphs and columns, the font is convenient for perception, the color spectrum is laconic (it is dominated by red and black), the articles are submitted in separated structural units.
The article goes on to say: «For the development of the web projects the state support is necessary, as well as inclusion in the staff of the newspapers such positions as web journalist and web editor. It would allow to update the newspaper’s website in real time, would help to increase the attendance and profitability.
In modern conditions traditional media should also interact with social networks. There are some examples. Plane crash in the Hudson River near New York City, the earthquake in Haiti, the terrorist attacks in the Moscow subway ― all these events of the past years were covered in the social media earlier than in traditional press. Professional journalists only selected and tested this information».
Thus, the main features of online journalism are multimedia, hypertextuality and interactivity. Due to the decreasing of the print newspapers’popularity, traditional media make their own web portals. It allows to engage the audience and to expand the transmission of information.
The author: Evseichik Anna, a third-year student,
The technical editor: Maxim Nesterkov, а first-year student.
An interesting and useful article, especially for the students who would like to write for online media. In my opinion the author has structured the article very well. It includes graphics, pictures, subtitles. What is more the article helps to practice in English.
It is written in a clear and simple language so it can be an example of
clarity and substance.
In my opinion, this article is a good motivation for me to work on the internet for web version of traditional media in English!
In my opinion this article will be useful for students who would like to write for online media.
This article is lively because it includes diagrams regarding education, age, urban users. Thank to the technical editor.
I believe that this article is really useful for me, since I am a student of print media department, I consider publications have to have their own online versions so that the reader can receive the news about important event in real time. If you ask me about analytical political atricles, analysis of cultural ivents, I will leave them for traditional hard copies
To be honest article will be useful for journalists and researchers of online joirnalism. This publication is not a model, but a good example for me and intellectully adventuruos students, who might try to write in English.
Thank you, Ann and Maxim!
I think this is a great article!
This article is really informative for me personally, this topic is really close to me. I often read the news and articles on the internet. I believe that this material can motivate to read about the Belarusian media.
I can’t thank you enough, Anna and Maxim for this article.
I believe that it is really important to make publications in English. Longreads like this article are still very useful. The topic of this article is actual nowadays. This article represents a picture of modern mass media on the example of “Zvyazda” in details in my opinion so this article will be relevant for students who do a course in journalism.
In my opinion this article can be interesting for young journalists and for foreign students of the BSU who want to know about trends in Belarusian mass media.
Thank you Anna for making me think about writing articles in English!
Thank you for your article. It is really usefull for me.
I think this article can be really useful for web-journalists. If you ask me about pluses and minuses they are the following: It has some diagrams and photos so it is easy to follow it. At the same time it’s really long and it was sometimes hard to understand it. I would like to read more publications in English and one time I might write one.
In my opinion this article will be useful for students who would like to write a course or a diploma paper «TRATIONAL BELORUSIAN NEWSPAPER ON THE NET» in English, and who would like to master English.
Thank you so much Maks and Ann for collaboration on this project.
I think that for websmi.by it is a really big step to make publications in English. In my opinion it is really cool that such famous publishing house uses Internet for sharing their materials!
I think that information is really useful and cognitive for young journalists who investigate and write articles about Belarusian media on the net. Speaking of publication articles in English, I would like to know if there are proofreader on Web-journalist?
I think that this article can be defined for students who would like to write a course paper. In future I might try to write about unpredictable world of football for Websmi.by in english!!!! Thank you kindly Anna and Maxim!
It has been an interesting publication in English. This article will be useful both to professional journalists and students of the Faculty of Journalism. Thanks the charts and photos that were used in the publication the article is easy to read. I will definitely think of writing for Web-journalist, it might be an interview, I will think of a topic!!!
Sorry, some parts have been missed.
*I think that the genre of this article can be defined as a scientific feature.
*This article will be useful for students who would like to write a course paper.
Thank you for this scientific article, but l have one remark:) First of all your creation looks like a research, not like an article. If this article were published in a hard copy of “Zviazda” for example, it would be so difficult to read it. But thank you for this creation.
I think that this article is useful not only for students of the Institute of Journalism, but also for any modern person. Currently, almost all people spend a lot of time on social networks. The newspaper “Zvezda” on the Internet platform is a good possibility for people to read about Belarus on the Internet.
This article motivates me to try to perform the analysis of a Belarusian or a British newspaper oneday.
In My opinion the topic of this article has been covered by the author very well.Anna has demonstrated on the example of Zvyazda.by that it is possible to read it having a mobile phone and the Internet, we can look at color photos and diagrams, watch video, reading a web article.Nowadays the web version of the newspaper can be read by anyone in different countries of the world. That’s a big advantage.
The author gives full information about this web-site. So I think, that this material can good motivate me to read and write in English
Excellent! Wonderful article, I hope the author will proceed writing in English! Good luck to you!
I think, this article will be very helpful for young journalist and editors of newspapers, that haven’t got website yet. Thank you for your opinion about online media!
I think, this article will be very helpful for young journalist and editors of newspapers, that haven’t got website yet. Thank you for your opinion about online media!
I believe, is really important to make publications to this goal. Longreads like this is still very useful. Thanks to the authors for such a detailed publication about modern web-technologies. That helped me a lot.
To my mind, all of facts in this article make us agree with the author’s opinion about online media. I’m thinking about working in online media after reading. Thank you, Anna, for motivation!
This article is useful for me. The author tell us about the topic clerarly and logical. It’s very good that she gives us opinion of the specialists and details about her scientists investigation. Thank you!
I think this article can be really useful and interesting for web-journalists. If you ask me about advantages and disadvantages, they are the following: it has some diagrams and photos so it is easy to perceive it. At the same time it’s really long and it was sometimes hard to understand. But it is very important project – writing English texts on the Russian language resource. I think that it can help readers to develop their foreign language skills and what is more – to attract English speaking audience to websmi.by.