Texas State Campus Life

Website evaluation: San Antonio Express-News

By: Selina Smith

The San Antonio Express-News or mysanantonio.com, produced by Hearst Communications Inc., continues to slowly build its multimedia content. The website is insightful in giving the readers the news and goes in hand with its printed newspaper to develop a professional journalistic outlook on San Antonio. The site’s information is primarily local based, with little national based news. The format is clear and precise, capturing the readers interest. The breaking news is on the front page and stories are placed in the section that suits the article best (Business, News, Sports, etc.). Whether its politics in Texas, crimes committed in San Antonio or sports, this frequently updated website provides all types of news in the local community.

The site relies on words and/or pictures to tell the story.  Although the website uses some multimedia content, from photos to reader participation, videos seem uncommon and pictures at times don’t convey the impact of the stories. A recent article involving the concept of VIA Metropolitan Transit streetcars in downtown San Antonio has been a long debate in the city. Though the article gives a detailed struggle to bring VIA streetcars to San Antonio, including a comments section for people to voice their opinions, the story ultimately feels plain. The article is three pages, with no pictures or video links and comes off long and  at times dull. There are no visuals or pictures to capture the readers’ attention to let them know that the topic is a major development in the San Antonio community.

The use of different mediums, such as visuals, in some way could’ve impacted the long struggle for VIA streetcars.  Interviews from city and county officials giving their opinions regarding the issue could put some perspective on how much conflict there is regarding the issue. Also, interviews from the locals on how they feel about streetcars downtown would make the article livelier.

San Antonio Express-News has a long way to go to have the complete “multimedia package”, but what they do have is a start. The homepage is an example of what mediums the San Antonio Express-News can overall bring to their website. If journalists can bring the mediums that are on the homepage to their own stories, then readers will be introduced to a new outlook of multimedia journalism.

New Beginnings

It was once said that journalism was just a one-way flow of communication. Although the theory can be applied to this day and age, our generation is evolving. The phrase "one-way" is too simple for a complex term such as journalism. In my personal opinion, I believe journalism is a give-and-take process. There are many outlets of seeking news and how it is reported. With the use of technology, journalism has gone past the expectations of newspapers and magazines. The ability to seek news through the Internet, smart phones and social networks gives readers a chance to encounter journalism at a whole new different level.

The term multimedia journalism refers to the integration of text, images, sound, video, and graphics to tell a journalistic story. With all these elements, readers get the chance to see the story in a whole new light.

As a beginner to multimedia journalism, I look forward to learning different aspects of this new form of journalism and take away the importance to have multiple elements to create a powerful story.