CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Cite as: Huesca, R. & Dervin, B. (2003). Hypertext and journalism: Audiences respond to competing news narratives. In H. Jenkins & D. Thorburn (Eds.), Democracy and new media (pp. 281-307). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
© MIT Press (2003).

ABSTRACT:
The advent of new communication technologies has brought forth a set of opportunities and challenges for traditional media professions, such as journalism. This challenging new context is evident from the plethora of books and articles that suggest radical changes to human perception, cognition, and expression precipitated by new technologies. For example, a robust literature exploring hypertext suggests that computer technologies spell the end of what has traditionally counted as “good writing” and, in fact, portend the death of print. Although these claims are provocative and somewhat convincing, they lack reference to empirical work focusing on what these systems “do” to readers and what readers “do” with these systems. This paper explores the particular challenges of hypertext theories to narrative forms and practices of journalism by examining the interactions of news readers and hypertexts. Specifically, it reports the findings of a qualitative study [conducted using Sense-Making Methodology] of online news users who read both an original news story that appeared on the Los Angeles Times website, and a redesigned, hypertext version of the same material. By asking readers to think about and explain the differences between these competing forms of news, the study aimed to begin to document the viability of hypertext and explore its implications for journalism practice.

OTHER MATERIALS BY THESE AUTHORS ON THIS WEB SITE:
For Huesca,
See:http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlisthuesca.html.
For Dervin,
See:  http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlistdervin.html.