The Los Angeles Times: An Analysis of Interactivity in US Online News Sites.

Oxford English Dictionary defines the term interactivity as “allowing a two-way flow of information between it and a user, responding to the user’s input.” Interactivity in traditional print journalism was quite constrained, with the letters to the editor page or a simple audience poll being their primary outlets. As news media evolved, interactivity became a greater issue. In radio for instance, programmes such as Adrian Kennedy’s Phoneshow on FM104, depend greatly on public input. With the explosion of the Internet into daily life, traditional news companies recognised the need to create digital duplicates of their publications in order to keep their online audience satisfied. This move sparked an increase in interactivity. The introduction of features, such as forums, comment boxes and hyperlinks both internal and external, have allowed readers to interact and engage with information on unimaginable levels.

For this reason, I have chosen to examine the news site of the Los Angeles Times with regard to interactivity in the hopes of determining how important public input is to this US newspaper.