Recently by Manuel Mantilla

The online edition of 20 Minutos claimed a few days ago that Spanish paid-for dailies are imitating free papers, in an effort to reproduce the great success of the freebies since they have appeared.

The Spanish online news site, ELPAIS.com, has launched a new section for citizen journalism. “Yo periodista” is an interactive section in which citizens can publish news at any time.

The competition between free papers in Spain is leaving the streets to take place on the internet, as free papers are developing their online editions.

With the growing presence of audio and video in online news sites, what is going to be the future of text? Will the practicality of the text-based inverted pyramid scheme kill creative storytelling?

According to research led by the Colombian Newspaper El Tiempo.com, a great number of Latin America’s online news sites recognize the importance of reader participation and reader interaction, but they still have doubts as to the potential benefits and risks of these Web 2.0 features.

Twitter was created in March 2006 by Evan Williams as a project for Obvious Corporation, San Francisco. Twitter enables any user to publish for free mini-postings or comments from their mobile, instant messenger or online. This new feature could not only change personal communications but could also be used by newspapers online, to increase feedback and interactivity.

Not only the TV, the radio or the internet can be successful. To have a brilliant future, newspapers must become more interactive and promote the right of citizens to participate, said one of the editors of “El Correo” Newspaper, Monserrat Lluis. She won last week the “Young Readers” Prize of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

The president of Microsoft, Bill Gates, announced last week serious problems and risks for the future of printed press because of the digital revolution.

The Editor of the Colombian digital Journal El Tiempo, says that 74% of newspapers will integrate their print and web newsrooms in the next few years, according to a study recently released.