Project


In recent years, Internet has made outstanding progress, just like the mainstream media which migrated on to the Net a decade ago. Since then, these media have evolved into quality products, while the presence in cyberspace of news sites has kept growing. Therefore, we cannot ignore the fact that Internet has transformed the media scenario, where it has brought about very important changes. A new paradigm is emerging, with renovated media languages, convergence business models and content customization.
The trend toward cybermedia stability is obvious, in spite of their primary dependence on offline predecessors. News websites are currently demonstrating their capacity to develop distinctive communication skills, which are reshaping traditional journalism practise. What is more, the cybermedia are succeeding in developing their own communication patterns based on hypertext, multimedia and interactive possibilities. In fact, there is a great interest in new storytelling techniques which include presentation on video, audio and graphics, as well as text. It seems online news services are likely to perform new roles and functions, apart from that of providing information, althoght they have not yet demonstrated all their qualities.
Although it is difficult to predict what will happen from now on, there is no doubt that online news organizations and academic research have overcome their initial technological euphoria to focus on other assumptions about the transformation of journalism on the Internet. The field of research and teaching is aware of the impact of the Internet on the communication industry and research into new media issues is considered to be a dynamic field of knowledge, as scholars call for further research into issues related cyberjournalism. With this aim the work group ike has been formed in the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), whose five members are specially interested in this field of research. Their project -"The Impact of the Internet on the mass media in the Basque Country" (2004/2006)- intends to examine the changes that Basque media are undergoing, as a result of their presence on the Web. The research also intends to carry out an in depth evaluation of new Basque websites, and to give recognition where there is serious evidence of distinction. Likewise, the group plans to study the nature of the content of these new sites, the communication modalities used for storytelling, and other developments occurring in Basque media evolution on the Web. In general, the purpose of the project is to serve in deliniating the Basque situation, as far as online new products are concerned.
In order to achieve this, the research shares the primary aims and methods involved in previous projects in Europe (COST Action A20, "The Impact of the Internet on the mass media in Europe) and in Spain ("The Impact of the Internet on the mass media in Spain). In fact, three members of the UPV-EHU working group- Javier Díaz Noci and Koldo Meso Ayerdi, lecturers in journalism, and a doctorate grant holder, Ainara Larrondo Ureta- have taken part in the Spanish group of the COST Action A20 research network.
The COST Programme (Cooperation in the Field of Science and Technical Research) is a European Commission initiative whose aim is the creation of research networks throughout the European Union, aiming to promote collaboration in different knowledge fields. These groups involve international researchers from more than thirty European countries. One of the COST Programme initiatives is the A20 Action, named "The Impact of the Internet on the mass media in Europe" (2001/2004). The working groups involved in this Action have focused on the impact of the Internet on press, radio and television, in a project directed by Colin Sparks, from the University of Westminster (UK). In Spain the COST project, "The Impact of the Internet on the mass media in Spain" (2002/2005) has received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Researchers from the University of the Basque Country, the University of Santiago de Compostela, the University of Navarre and the University of Málaga participated in the Spanish project.






Actualizado en noviembre de 2006 >> 2006ko azaroan eguneratua >> Updated: November, 2006