The advent of the World Wide Web has also opened up many possibilities in newsrooms all over the country. Since news desks are usually equipped with computers, research becomes limited only to how much time a reporter has to research a story. Reporters need to use the Internet more and more to find info fast on whatever story they re writing at the moment. Umstead goes on to say that the Internet is replacing the public library as a resource in newsrooms, simply because the Internet is accessible. The Martinsburg Journal, a local paper serving three counties in West Virginia, recently networked all the newsroom computers and made them Internet accessible.
Reporters there say it s easier than running down the street to the library.
Stories are more likely to be on time and well-researched, a hot commodity in a world of tight deadlines and little time. The Internet also offers a specialized outlet for newsrooms electronic databases of past stories that enable journalists to look up background for ongoing stories. Christine Rodrigo, a reporter at the Daily Journal in Virginia said The database makes it so much easier to find background for a city council meeting or a court story. No more searching through the physical archives. All you have to do is just type in a keyword and click search.