Years from now I plan on getting married. I can already tell you what we'll serve at our wedding: chicken and molé (MOW-lay). The two work so well together, you could not imagine a world where one was served with out the other. They're perfect complements.
The same can be said about TV news and the Internet. Ten years ago the opportunity was not there. The Internet was in its infant stage and TV news stations were more worried about losing viewers to newspapers and radio stations than computers.
But today, the Internet gives TV stations the opportunity to reach an audience beyond its viewing area 24-hours a day. Successful TV managers see the web as an opportunity and not a threat. Their Web sites are more than a page where you can see that night's stories. They go beyond the 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. newscasts, offering viewers an enhanced experience. Their approach is simple. They have hired a team familiar with the countless programs capable of enhancing the broadcast.
It's programs like Flash, fireworks and Quicktime that can make a Web site more than a rerun of the evening news. Managers are investing in a staff capable of combining several programs to create a single feature for the site.
The best example of TV investing money into their TV sites happened prior to the current war in Iraq. TV stations such as CNN wanted to "own Gulf War II."
"They've built interactive maps with satellite imagery, multimedia slide shows, timelines, transcripts and an extensive array of background resources. The site's Iraq Tracker updates users with snappy summaries of the latest developments," wrote Corey Bergman of the Online Journalism Review.
But CNN and MSNBC and the other online bigwigs were not the only TV stations making preparations for an online presence. An eMarketer study found that 50 million people across the United States use the Internet as their main source of news during office hours. This prompted many local stations to improve their Web site.Nancy Cassult, vice president of content for Internet Broadcasting Systems, summed up the role both media play in covering this war:
What the Internet can do that TV stations can't is offer viewers more depth and interactive content. TV will show emotion of the war and tell stories of the people involved. The Web will display facts, figures and resources in a graphically appealing way that invites viewer participation.
The preparations TV stations made prior the invasion of Iraq should reflect the bond between television and the Internet. They are often seen as separate media. Now, just like chicken and molé, it's hard to imagine a world where one is served without the other.
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