In a multiplatform world where news waits for no man or network, traditional media would do well to heed the call of the Beowulf that would consume them. W hen long-time host of NBC`s Meet the Press Tim Russert collapsed and died in the network`s Washington Bureau in mid June, NBC tried to hold off the news - presumably to notify Russert`s next-of-kin or prepare for the onslaught of a relentlessly hungry media. As the clock ticked and NBC mulled over its announcement, a "junior-level employee" updated Russert`s profile page on Wikipedia. In seconds, the wired world knew the network`s lauded political chat show host had passed. The "junior" was fired and NBC learned a swift, yet brutal, lesson. In the internet age, the news is a beast that will not be held back. More so with citizen journalism and multiplatform content channels becoming the Beowulf that would eat traditional media. Web 2.0 is changing the very nature of news, how it`s delivered and how people want to consume it, with profound consequences for news organisations.

The NBC story broke shortly after the Associated Press (AP) revealed ground-breaking research showing the internet is revolutionising the way pe-ople want to consume news. AP unveiled key findings from a study of young adults in Britain, India and the United States. The research shows that 18- to 34-year-olds are driving a shift from traditional media to digital news, and that the news habits of these young consumers are dramatically different from those of previous generations.

- News is multitasked - Subjects consumed news as part of another set of activities and are, therefore, unable to give their full attention to the news. This is very different from previous news consumption models where people sat down to watch the evening news or read the morning paper.

- News is connected to e-mail - Many of the study participants digested news alongside their e-mail. "I get my news when I check my e-mail," was a common statement from study participants.

- News takes work but creates social currency - Several participants viewed news as a form of social currency. The news that resonated most was relevant to participants` needs.

If the fact that the target market for the seven o`clock news is dying or becoming extinct isn`t bad enough, Web 2.0 has produced a slew of new media content forms that are cheap and easy to run, and which people prefer to the actual news. Internationally, there`s the wildly successful Rocketboom.com, which was created with a laptop, two lights and a digicam. Oh, and a couple pieces of tape, a sassy presenter and a makeshift table. Locally, news parody site Hayibo.co.za is making waves, while vlogger (video blogger) Khaya Dlanger is reaping his slice of YouTube traffic with 10 673 subscribers.

The big trend in the US is that news is out and parody is in, with the meteoric rise of the likes of ComedyCentral`s The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report. Together with SNL, these parody shows are trouncing broadcast news viewer figures hand over fist. Then there`s Twitter, where the gods of geek news (aka TechCrunch and the Scobleizer) do battle in a micro format that only allows them 140 characters per story. I won`t even begin to talk about the mobile news revolution and what that`s doing to newsrooms. I also won`t mention the fact that three new sea cables will explode South Africa`s broadband capability, or say the word WiMax.

That reminds me: while Dali Mpofu, Snuki Zikalala and what`s left of the SABC board and management are ducking in and out of courtrooms, protests and CCMA hearings, perhaps someone should send them an MMS and let them in on the news.

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