ABSTRACT
The development of the Internet as a news provider is often described as a series of formative moments, each of which highlights from a respective vantage point the evolving dynamics of online journalism. Such moments are typically said to include, for different reasons, the Oklahoma City bombing, the TWA 800 explosion, the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide, Princess Diana’s car crash, and the Drudge Report’s posting of the initial revelations concerning former President Bill Clinton’s relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (see Borden and Harvey 1998; Davis 1999; Pavlik 2001). More recently, the conflict in Kosovo has been called the “first Internet war,” namely due to the ways in which online spaces were created for alternative viewpoints, background materials, eyewitness accounts and interactivity with members of the public (see Taylor 2000; Hall 2001). In the aftermath of September 11, then, it is not surprising that several online news commentators have been quick to declare the attacks to be the biggest story to break in the Internet Age. Even for those who share this perspective, however, it does not necessarily follow that online reporters played a decisive role with regard to how it was covered. The precise nature of that role continues to be the subject of much discussion and debate. It is the aim of this chapter to contribute to this critical assessment.
