Advantages of Personalized News to the Journalist and the User

Personalized news could be defined as customized news tailored to the needs and preferences of online users. Due to the advancements in technology, personalized news has unparalleled advantages over traditional media to its users and journalists. One of the strengths is the ability to deliver customized services, such as so-called "news alerts" and "news on demand", to individuals. With personalized news, the viewing public can "be the first to know" as soon as a story breaks, as CNN boasts.

Another advantage is the interactivity inherent in the online world which enables users to share views and feedback, instead of simply acting as passive recipients. With this interactive ability, users have been able to take a more active role in shaping which stories news media publish. In some cases, users have even leveraged the internet to mobilize support for certain grassroots issues. In other words, users could also be agenda setters.

In addition to offering benefits to news consumers, personalized news also benefits journalists. They can get instant feedback from individual users and know better about their target audience. What's more, because the news content is user-defined, online journalists don't have to make the same trade-offs as their traditional counterparts when selecting topics and thus have greater leeway in deciding which topics to publish.

Finally, neither users nor journalists of personalized news are bound by the same constraints as in traditional media. They have greater freedom to access news archives virtually any time and any place. Personalized news has opened up a new page in journalism and it is interesting to see how the future of journalism unfolds.