Download the eBook (8.25 MB) - ECREA Thematic Sections

Diversity of Journalisms. Proceedings of ECREA/CICOM Conference, Pamplona, 4-5 July 2011
The Journalistic Message within the Convergence Framework:
A Case Study Analysis of Hypertextual News Stories in Quality
Online Media
Ainara Larrondo*, Javier Díaz Noci**, Irati Agirreazkuenaga*
* University of Basque Country, Spain
** Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
Abstract
Media convergence promotes an integration of previously dispersed languages and the
creation of innovative products with consequences in the traditional form of the
journalistic message. This scenario requires more thorough studies that develop quality
criteria on issues such as the structuring of informa¬tion within a news site and the
combination of data in different media formats. This line of research is thus currently
one of the most productive in online journalism, as hypertextuality has become a key
element for studying the potential of web content and genres, as with multimedia. In
considering it, this paper discusses the effect of convergence on online journalistic
language, bearing in mind the foremost characteristics of communication in this
changing framework: complexity, depth, non-linearity, divergence, multimediality and
interactivity. This argument supports the case study presented in this paper, carried out
in the framework of the I+D project “Evolution of Spanish online media facing
convergence Message and content analysis” (CSO2009-13713-C05-04), funded by the
Spanish Government. This analysis examines structure, style and function of
hypertextual new stories published in worldwide online media which have been
selected by means of quality criteria: Clarin.com (Argentina), Guardian.co.uk (United
Kingdom), Elpaís.com (Spain), Lemonde.fr (France), Nytimes.com (United States),
Oglobo.globo.com (Brazil) and Repubblica.it (Italy). The research methodology is
based on a qualitative message analysis procedure focused on hypertext rhetoric:
types of links and non-linear reporting patterns, particularly those related to the
coherence strategy of hypertextual narrative. The data codification has been carried
out using a database with a combination of fields, following the indicators proposed.
The study results make it possible to contrast data and establish significant conclusions
that show an enrichment of the news message on the Web.
Keywords: Hypertext. Hyperlinks. Online news
A state of the art
Within the narrative tendencies on Internet and in the new media, we refer concretely
to the studies on hypertext. The first approaches to the news hypertext were frequently
set out as repertoires of advice.
164