One of the biggest developments that the last decade witnessed is the rapid rise in the consumption of online news among people of all ages. People across the world found their feet to the contemporary global trends, despite radical changes and transformations in news-making. Online news environment introduced new opportunities and several digital media outlets started expanding . The prime focus is to provide useful insights and to identify the major trends for 2020.
Innovation in Online Journalism
It is one of the most crucial elements of social and economic growth. Digital news platforms have created a new media landscape that is more lively, transparent and open for citizens. They have been successful in challenging the deeply rooted professional dogmas, providing more promising content. In the last five years, news has been reaching the masses within no time. Thanks to modern technology. The world doesn’t have to wait until tomorrow to get news. Traditional media tends to take longer, to combine hours of drafting, connecting reporters with sources, distributing a pitch, etc. However, this is not the case on online news platforms.
The world is hungry for brand new content, every minute. The more promising the content, the easier it is to make media a lucrative industry. Mobile Video Journalism (MoJo) will witness an unexpected rise. On a larger scale, it is changing the way stories are being told. Eventually, it is here to stay, even though some traditional, old-fashioned journalists are resisting the change. When news breaks, a traditional journalist takes time to get there. He/she is not the first to take the scene to report. The entire process takes time, but now a smartphone is acting as one of the most powerful tools in the history of mankind. Interestingly, it all fits into your pocket.
Our growth has been remarkable. We have done wonders in citizen journalism. In 365 days, we published over 1 million news stories and 60,000 plus verified videos on our short news platform.
Hyperlocal news - the future
Earlier, experts termed the hyperlocal news ecosystem to be somewhat crazy. Hyperlocal news networks will not be a hit among people, some opined. However, many people tried their luck, but it never worked for them. But that did not stop entrepreneurs from trying to make it work. After years of planning and research, finally, the hyperlocal news ecosystem seems to be working in India. It worked for us and a few players are enjoying local-level dissemination of news.
You should understand that people in rural outlets are consuming digital news and not newspapers. Thanks to the internet and the advent of smartphones. Reaching out to these hyperlocal communities has become easier than ever. Newspapers hardly exist in these communities. Television has turned blind. People in those areas are now preferring online news platforms and want to be heard.
India has 260 million monetisable users out of the total of 530 million users. Of this, 210 million users are vernacular consumers. We’re more likely to see news organisations tap into the hyperlocal or vernacular market.
Technology and editorial partnerships
Are you going to wait for the prime-time newscast to get you a breaking news story that was reported at noon? An absolute no. This is where online media players gained the extra point. Technology has dramatically changed the way the world accesses information.
In 2020, online media platforms will look to introduce a wide range of advancements in terms of technology. Access to in-app live feeds, personalised content, short stories or videos, use of robot and human writing will create new possibilities in the new-age digital media. As technology drives change, this year, we are likely to find breaking news stories via news apps or on online platforms.
The world is getting smaller and content partnerships will be on the rise. If one can’t make the right step, it will be difficult to stand out.
People are shifting to the digital world like never. In the last five years, there has been a massive shift in consumer behaviour. Particularly in news gathering and sharing. India has also become the fastest growing in the global app market, which means we are consuming more online content than ever before. In my opinion, the digital shift will open great opportunities for online media players to experiment on new technologies and content/advertising strategies in the ongoing year. The combination of text, audio and video on exclusive platforms will be a reality this year.
(The author is founder & CEO, Way2News. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)
