I’m a journalism grad student, which means that I’m obsessed with thinking about the future of the journalism industry. And if my TV news production class is any indication, it’s not just print journalism that’s being completely transformed by the internet. So is TV news.
More than the delivery system is changing, however. It’s the entire style. Blond anchorwomen are out. The more authentic documentary feel is in. Here are some of the best examples online:
Mediastorm makes me weak in the knees, mocks me with its greatness, lights a fire under me, reminds me why I am pursuing journalism in the first place. From heartbreaking stories about drug abuse in New York squats to poignant and warm stories about elderly love and friendship, at Mediastorm, content is king — in the form of audio sideshows and documentary film.
On the whole, I am no fan of the Vice empire. The magazine lost me back in the early 2000′s when it decided to make racism and sexism the cornerstone of its too-cool-for-school, ironic, shock-jock humor. But VBS.TV, the Vice online TV channel, actually has some really amazing stuff, though I’d say the quality as a whole is pretty spotty. Their “Toxic” series — “environmental coverage without a bunch of preaching or sobby string music” — is the best part of the site.
While they don’t always do it right, I have been a huge fan of The New York Times videos. I realize here that may seem more like online video than TV. But to me, the line is blurred. The only TV show I find myself watching with any regularity is Mad Men. For up-to-date TV news, I turn to The New York Times first — click on their videos when they accompany stories I’m reading. (I don’t normally visit the video landing page directly, but find myself there when I’ve clicked on a video embedded ina story I’m already reading.) It’s like the nightly news, only in bite-sized pieces that I can navigate according to my interests.
If this is where TV is heading, damn. Way to go, internet!



