Their editorial notes the rise, fall, and rise of video online, and people choosing online news instead of network news.
“Video news sites have made a resurgence in recent years,” intoned the editorial from the L.A. Times, as it discussed Yahoo and the debut of its war news program, Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone. The editorial board can thank the growth of broadband connections in the home for that.
CBS News has become so entranced by online video, its news focus will be online-first. Other sites like AOL, MSN, and yes, Yahoo have been offering video along with their news items. Users have responded well to video, and major world events have spurred spikes in video usage as they occur.
The editorial noted how compelling content, offered online, will “hasten the public shift” away from passive media formats to more interactive ones. The alarm bells could be sounding a little too soon, as Yahoo execs have said their interest is not in being a broadcaster or content producer.
Yahoo presents a problem of personalization, not production. Its products will more likely complement the passive mainstream instead of replacing it, at least the Times thinks that’s the implication. Weaving those complementary products into a very narrow focus through personalizing means users at Yahoo will become even more of a commodity to the sellers with Yahoo’s advertising services.
For potential marketers, being able to select from a menu of user likes and dislikes will make online advertising options much more appealing. Money flowing to Yahoo means it isn’t going elsewhere, especially to mainstream media. To places like the Times.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
