Rather, they are simply new tools for producing old media. The premise, however, is flawed. Online technology does, in fact, represent an entirely new and different medium, as different from print as video. Imagine a video producer holding a brochure in front of a camera, slowly turning the pages one by one while the tape rolls. The idea is, of course, preposterous.
Video presents an entirely new set of challenges and opportunities.
It capitalizes on different strengths and can fail based on its unique weaknesses. It requires an entirely different way of thinking. The same is true of material produced for the new electronic media. Still, the vast majority of the content appearing online is written no differently than that which is produced for print. This is hardly surprising based on the nascence of the online media.