Module:………JCM2301………….

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Name: Zaynab Kamran

Student Number: M00792213

Title of Work: Industry Report

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/these-brave-souls-live-in-haunted-houses-and-
they-love-it

Date: 08/02/2022

Please fill in above and add this document as the front page of your submitted
work.
Introduction

Digital journalism is an integration of innovative technologies and traditional news reporting

methods. Kawamoto et al. (2003) defined digital journalism as “the use of digital

technologies to research, produce and deliver news and information to an increasingly

computer literate audience". The tools used to convey the news digitally have shaped how

news outlets share news today. Consumer news patterns have drastically changed, and "the

digital news consumption has skyrocketed"(Carvajal, García-Avilés and González, 2012),

which is why digital journalism is more important now than ever before.

According to Kawamoto et al., a few characteristics typical of digital journalism include

multimedia, hyper textuality (linking information), interactivity, customisation, and

personalisation. In this essay, I will be examining an article published by National

Geographic Magazine titled, ‘These brave souls live in haunted houses- and they love it'. This

essay will include this article’s model identification and an analysis of the digital tools used,

the effect it creates, and the lack of digitality within the piece.

Most commonly known for its wildlife photojournalism, National Geographic Magazine

explores science, geography and history. In 2015, they became a 'for-profit venture' after

being bought out by Fox and now recently owned by Disney. The article is a gonzo

journalism piece about the journalist Bill Newcott visiting the owners and residents of

haunted houses across the United States.

Identification of model

As per Humprecht and Esser’s (2016) study, digital journalism generally follows three

different models. The transparency model- news outlets ensure that their readers are aware of

the source of information by hyperlinking. The background model involves news outlets
emphasising the background information on the article's topic so that their readers have a

deeper understanding of the subject. Lastly, the print-oriented model. News outlets that avoid

using and investing in innovative digital tools to convey their story instead rely on the

traditional methods of producing news.

The chosen article follows the print-oriented model. The National Geographic Magazine

generally follows the same model, which means that stories they publish show low levels of

interactivity and participation tools (such as forums and comment sections). They mostly rely

on advertising as their primary source of income, and their use of digital features is quite

limited.

Element of photography

As Kawamoto et al. (2003) mention, multimedia is the use of different types of media under

one article. National Geographic is known for its photojournalism; hence, this article contains

multiple photos of haunted houses across the United States because readers demand "a

stimulating, visual media landscape” (Fahmy, Bock, & Wanta, 2014; O’Neill, 2013). These

photographs are of houses not mentioned in the text, so they provide extra information and

visuals on the story. The photos break the monotony of the text and help retain the reader's

attention. Following Khan and Mazhar's (2017) study, "images are a very effective tool

because news which includes images are explored by more readers".

No video, animation or audio is used. The simple construction of the webpage, including only

pictures and text, simulates the feeling of reading a physical newspaper, which creates a dull

experience without any advanced digital elements.

Text-heavy

Scrolling down the page, the text is the primary agent of conveying the story. Through first-

person narration and interviews with the haunted houses' landlords, the writer sets a dark and
eerie atmosphere for the readers. Readers imagine the narrative world and “transport”

themselves from their current situation into the narrative world (Gerrig, 1993). This text-

heavy article allows the reader to be actively involved in the story instead of passively

watching it through video form. Hence, the text elevates the ‘horror’ element. Additionally,

as the print-oriented model suggests, news outlets are usually looking for ways to save

money; the text is a cost-effective decision.

A lack of interactivity

As stated previously, Kawamato et al. (2003) emphasise certain features like interactivity,

hyper-textuality, customisation and personalisation as a part of digital journalism- these

elements make digital journalism different from traditional journalism.

Apart from the sharing options on the top and bottom of the page, there is no interactivity

within this web page; this is true for most articles on the website. Because of the lack of these

digital features, the focus remains on the in-depth account of the journalist's experience,

diminishing any unwanted distraction that could have reduced the spooky effect that the

writer intends to create. However, interactivity could have been beneficial to the piece. For

example, there is a map with labels of the different cities the journalist visited. If the reader

could hover over the cities and see pictures of the houses or interesting city facts, it would

allow readers to engage with the article.

The necessity of hyperlinking

Furthermore, hyperlinks are also not used by the author in the story. Hyperlinks are helpful

because they establish trust between the reader and the platform. It allows the reader to be

aware of the source of information, and it is easy to scan the article to find the specific

information you are looking for. However, since the story was about a first-hand experience
of the journalist and all the information came from a primary source, digital tools such as

hyperlinks and additional background information were not essential.

This example has no evidence to support personalisation and hyper-textuality. Nevertheless,

the author still makes the piece easily scannable for the reader. As stated by Bradshaw and

Rohumaa (2017), “scannability is the key to effective online journalism”. The clear and

straightforward headline, coupled with bold subheadings, breaks in between text with

pictures and a map, helps readers navigate the screen quickly and easily.

Financially dependent on advertising revenue

The most apparent feature in this article is the advertisements between the text and on the

side. According to Humprecht and Esser, news outlets that follow the print-oriented model

highly depend on advertising incomes. The online magazine also does not require a

subscription or paywall to read articles. Because they depend solely on advertisements for

funding, they are most likely financially unstable, which explains why they avoid investing in

innovations (Humprecht and Esser, 2016).

Their lack of involvement in investing in emerging journalistic technologies could also be

because National Geographic has a history of being a non-profit organisation until 2015 when

it was bought out by 21st Century Fox (The Guardian, 2015). With these kinds of new outlets,

“the pay-out is uncertain and in the future, rather than in access to paywalled material”

(Nicholls, T., Shabbir, N., and Nielsen, R., 2016). Hence, transitioning from a donation-based

funding model to an advertising-based model created no impact on the amount of money

coming into the publication, so editorial decisions on journalism pieces most likely stayed the

same.

Conclusion
This article may not be the best example of the growing world of digital journalism, but it is

still a good example of practical, straightforward journalism. The simple design comprising

only pictures and text eliminates distractions from extra, unnecessary digital features (like

hyperlinks). Unlike video and audio, the pictures were a good way of creating visuals and

keeping readers engaged without taking the spotlight from the text. At the same time, the text

was a highly effective form of grabbing the reader’s attention towards the “horror” of the

piece.

Although the lack of interactivity within the piece made the experience less stimulating-

digital tools such as comment sections and interactive maps could have avoided this. These

engagement tools would enrich the story by giving a holistic digital experience that most

Internet users are accustomed to. The reader would receive and give back information

through the platform, hence being an active and involved news participant.

In addition to the magazine, National Geographic has a TV channel and produces

documentaries where they utilise multimedia; therefore, their magazine is reserved solely to

share information through text and pictures. National Geographic Magazine has been

profoundly successful in providing high-quality journalism and photography through their

print magazines. Other than their funding model, National Geographic's previous success

may be the fundamental reason their story-telling style has not drastically changed even after

producing content online. That explains why other articles on National Geographic Magazine

follow a similar story-telling pattern. The platform's editorial style directly influences the

type of story and how it is told. Each story is selected and published in a way that fits into the

print-oriented model.
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