What are the various applications of podcasting?

News websites have been around for at least a decade, but they've often been deliberate to change, and have been mainly used for assigning the same print stories online. However, times are changing, as they are realizing they're going to have to do much more online if they plan to compete with the Television network and cable TV news sites, international sites and popular podcast news of Yahoo and Google. Those are the benefits of podcasting for novices.

As companies are undergoing the shift with difficulty, the benefits of podcasting for novices will induce individuals to go from reading newsletters to getting their classified advertisements and news articles online. The Newspaper Association of America doesn't have much to worry about, just yet, since news websites persist to expand the advertising proceeds of readers. So if individuals are not reading the newsletters in print form, at least they might be receiving the news online from the same news source, although it's through podcast news.

A recent survey from a Washington PR agency studied the Top 100 U. S. news sites to find out which papers offered blogs, podcasts directory, story comments, RSS, reade r forums and bookmark features. The podcasting news was really fascinating.

Out of the Top 100 U. S. news sites, 80 of those papers have blogs. Of those 80 sites with blogs, 67 sites permit readers to comment on the blogs. The report notes that the Boston Globe's immense blogging actually encourages reader participation as well as interaction between reporters, citizens and journalists. Blogging is so ever-present, that nine of the Top ten, as well as nine out of the Bottom ten papers, offer blogs.

Unlike news blogs, podcasting news is occupied by a minority of Top 100 news websites, exactly 31 of them. The trend is much stronger on larger sites than the smaller ones. For example, six of the Top ten sites have podcasting news, while only two from the bottom 25 have podcasts. This discrepancy might be due to the extra production demanded of podcasts against blogs as well as the novelty of a podcasts directory.

Out of the Top 100, 61 podcasting news sites offer video on their websites, which is a fairly strong number. However, the Bivings Group didn't reveal whether that video was AP video or an original video captured by the staff, or video submitted by its readers.

Out of the Top 100, 76 sites do have RSS feeds and practically all of them offer feeds for specific sections of the site.

The Bivings Group explains that they are basically using RSS like an email alert system, as they are notifying people that something new has been posted, but still attempting to push readers to their own websites through branding. Moreover, while newsletters are indeed using RSS, they are not yet permitting readers to read full-text in their own RSS readers without dropping in on the website online. Maybe newspapers fear that by using the RSS feeds and permitting individuals to read entire articles with this technology, fewer people will actually visit the websites of the podcasting directory.

Over time, it's likely that news sites might see the value of offering podcasts and news w ith advertisements, as more people begin using the RSS feeds and favor to read articles inside industry news and updates.

Only 23 of the Top 100 U. S. news websites require people to register so that they can have the opportunity to read product design podcasts. That seems low and perhaps it's a sign that websites don't have faith in the veracity of individuals giving their personal information online. Instead, the websites might depend on product development and launch ads that are served according to the websites the individual has visited recently or through customer support of the site.

Only 19 sites afford readers to comment below each article, and only seven websites offer either internal or external bookmarking features. The low number on reader comments is a huge contrast to the 63 sites that let individuals comment on blogs and product design podcasts. It's possible that it could be an issue of resources and the time it takes to regulate comments on news stories. Maybe it could be th e vulnerability of editors and reporters who have no desire for reader comments on their stories.

Individuals bookmarking their news stories would generate more readers. Whether the individual reader prefer blogs or the podcasting directory, the traditional print newsletter and other news as we know it is gradually becoming extinct, while even the novice can enjoy the fringe benefits of podcasting. The wave of the future to get involved with this phenomenon is here and now with product design podcasts that can separate you from the crowd.

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