While user rated stories are telling of users' interests and reading
habits, I don't think that the absence of "hard news" on Digg,
Del.icio.us, and Reddit spells doom for serious journalism.
Television and even print news to some extent have become fluffier and
more popular interest-driven in recent years, but they still make hard
new reporting a priority. I think it's because of this reporting
priority that we see technology and quirk reporting getting the most
hits on Internet sites. While the newspaper or evening news isn't
going to have an in-depth story on the iPhone, a website or blog will.
Many people don't necessarily go to the Internet for stories on government and terrorism because they don't have to. They get all they want of it from mainstream news sources. This may change in the future, but I think right now the Internet is where people go for the light news and features that aren't deemed important enough to get mainstream headlines. This doesn't mean that people ignore the mainstream headlines. The Internet is just one half of our current information-dissemination dichotomy. It's like, if I need a new dirty clothes hamper, I go to Target. If I want a gallon orange juice, I go to Kroger. Both stores have both items, but one will give me more hamper options as well as similar items to browse, and the other is a better source for OJ and food... and stuff. I don't shop exclusively at one store.
habits, I don't think that the absence of "hard news" on Digg,
Del.icio.us, and Reddit spells doom for serious journalism.
Television and even print news to some extent have become fluffier and
more popular interest-driven in recent years, but they still make hard
new reporting a priority. I think it's because of this reporting
priority that we see technology and quirk reporting getting the most
hits on Internet sites. While the newspaper or evening news isn't
going to have an in-depth story on the iPhone, a website or blog will.
Many people don't necessarily go to the Internet for stories on government and terrorism because they don't have to. They get all they want of it from mainstream news sources. This may change in the future, but I think right now the Internet is where people go for the light news and features that aren't deemed important enough to get mainstream headlines. This doesn't mean that people ignore the mainstream headlines. The Internet is just one half of our current information-dissemination dichotomy. It's like, if I need a new dirty clothes hamper, I go to Target. If I want a gallon orange juice, I go to Kroger. Both stores have both items, but one will give me more hamper options as well as similar items to browse, and the other is a better source for OJ and food... and stuff. I don't shop exclusively at one store.
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