1What is online journalism? - Ayo Menulis FISIP UAJY

182 Journalism Online
Test the dream
noting the importance of work plans, timetables and budgets to
deliver your mission and achieve your goals.
The standard demarcation of any development process is:
analysis and planning;
design;
implementation;
testing; and
support.
Although this is fine in principle, there is a problem when applying
it as a model for web development. It gives an impression of a
linear, sequential process. In reality, these stages will overlap
considerably. For example, we are now reaching the end of the
analysis and planning process. The model says it is time to design,
but I say let’s do a little testing first.
You have thought hard about your users and your message. And
you have got yourself a mission statement. Up to this stage it has
been a bit like doing a crossword puzzle; filling in the answers you
know, hoping it will confirm your hunch on others you were not
sure of and even provide a shaft of insight into one that is
particularly troubling you.
But when do you bring all this blue sky stuff down to earth?
Well after you have created your mission statement is as good a
time as any. And how? Well try putting your model to the test.
You should have based as much of your early thinking as
possible on solid evidence rather than speculation, but it is still
necessary to test it out in two different areas.
Against any competition – are there other sites providing a
similar service? What are they doing and how? Are there any
outward signs of success? What sort of users do they attract?
Amongst your target users – you can put yourself in the shoes
of your target users until you have virtual blisters, but you will
still be surprised by the reactions of some real people. You
should have already spoken to members of your target