Introduction

Cyberspace belongs to readers, not writers. The journalist who carefully crafts a story with a lead, middle and ending is at the mercy of World Wide Web users who resemble TV couch potatoes with a mouse for a remote control. With a world at their fingertips, readers can link to another Web site in an instant before they even access the story.

That doesn't differ from print readers who scan headlines. But news stories on the Web offer more diversions and problems. With a multitude of links to others sites and technology that causes poor readability and slow download time, getting and keeping readers' attention is more difficult online than in print.

How then should we write news for the Web?

Should we write inverted pyramid stories, with the most important information at the top of the story?
Should we write in narrative form like a fiction story with a plot that unfolds from beginning to end?
Should we organize stories in chunks for readers to click on or in continuous screens they can scroll?
Or should we create new forms of storytelling for the Web?

This study will explore several forms of writing online news. It features interviews with media leaders, research from studies, models for news, and resources for writing on the Web. How does nonlinear form affect online journalism?