The way news is shared in the United States has changed dramatically with the proliferation of the Internet.
This has allowed the way people consume news to become a more personalized experience. With that said, however, specific news outlets provide information in very different ways, with information becoming more localized as the scope of the publication shrinks. National newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal offer coverage of large issues that affect many more people than just those of the east coast.Regional newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit Free Press offer some of the similar stories that are covered in those previously mentioned papers with a more localized viewpoint and these are balanced by stories of a more regional aspect such as state and local elections, sporting events and business news that affects the region. Local newspapers such as the Kalamazoo Gazette offer a very local approach, covering stories that include local schools, small businesses and local events.These are balanced by presenting information about national issues that have been previously reported in other outlets.
These differences are highlighted by looking at the homepage of each outlet’s website. Upon viewing The New York Times (www. nytimes. com) the reader is greeted with headlines focusing on the interaction of President Obama and the GOP, a record high close of the S&P 500 and an update on a national tragedy, the shooting at Sandy Hook. A reader visiting The Wall Street Journal (www. wsj.
com) is drawn to similar headlines, with the close of the S&P leading the charge.As we transition to the smaller papers, The Chicago Tribune (http://www. chicagotribune. com/) highlights a tragedy that happened locally, the shooting of a 15 year old girl but also addresses the national story of Sandy Hook as well as discussing a large local music festival. The Detroit Free Press (www. freep.
com) highlights the recent activities of Dan Gilbert, an influential businessman; it also has an update on two local murders and discusses a water pipe bursting at the University of Michigan.Finally, upon visiting the Kalamazoo Gazette (www. ilve. com/kalamazoo), the reader is initially directed to activities to participate in during an upcoming spring break, an update on a local police issue and the local birth announcements.
As you can see, the issues presented become more specific as the reach of the paper decreases, which prior to the Internet might have contributed to the insulation of people outside of large metropolitan areas. With todays technology, it is possible to gain access to information from all over the globe, most often for free, with the click out your finger.
