Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do news organizations use text, video, podcasts, and links on the same digital platform?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
media convergence
In addition to functioning as a cell phone, Apple's touchscreen iPhone, released in 2007, has a built-in Web browser for viewing Internet content over wireless telephone networks and Wi-Fi connections. The iPhone also can be used as a multimedia playback device for listening to music or viewing videos.
In the context of media convergence, news organizations have evolved from traditional print or broadcast outlets into digital portals that integrate diverse content formats on a single platform. By leveraging digital technology, these organizations provide a "multimodal" experience that combines text, video, and podcasts to create immersive storytelling.12
News organizations use these elements in the following ways:
- Cross-media integration: Rather than providing content in isolation, platforms now offer text-based articles alongside embedded video, audio podcasts, and interactive graphics. This allows for a more comprehensive narrative, such as the use of animated graphics and video to reconstruct complex events.12
- Hyperlinking: Organizations use hyperlinks to connect users to related resources, archival material, or external sources, transforming once-closed stories into "open texts" with an ongoing existence.13
- Two-way communication: Digital platforms allow for audience engagement, where users can comment on stories or provide their own links, shifting the relationship from one-way broadcasting to a participatory environment.14
- Syndication and updates: Through protocols like RSS, news organizations publish instant updates and headlines, allowing for near-constant content delivery that meets the expectations of a 24-hour news cycle.5