Flash journalism

Flash journalism is perfectly representative of the evolution of the field of journalism. Above all else, it will allow for two of the greatest values of the Internet Age: Dissemination of greater quantities of information and more user control.

As described in the Mindy McAdams book, among other functions, flash journalism allows us to put together advanced slide shows online and place animated information graphics on the Web. Instead of a radio story or a set of photos in the newspaper, a slide show on the Web can combine photos and sound, allowing journalists to either present more information over the course of one story or to emphasize certain points more strongly than ever before by virtue of making particular points through both audio and photos.

Animated information graphics on the Web also allows us to more options than they do on television, both for journalists and audiences. Using rollover graphics and added animation, journalists can pack more information into graphics than ever before. Given that this added information will require more time to sink in for audiences, the viewer is often given control over how quickly he scrolls across the graphics and as such how quickly he sees the different parts of the animation. This allows audiences both to have more control over the amount of information they take in and how quickly they process it without missing a beat.

Overall, flash journalism will most certainly not hurt the journalistic industry. It has sizable potential upside both for journalists and their audiences, and as we experiment more with it, there should only be more of these advantages that reveal themselves.