Media crossovers: shades of the future?

A June 20th article in the New York Times detailed:

“Exposé: America’s Investigative Reports” returns this weekend for its second season on PBS, with a 20-week run of episodes that highlight investigative reporting from news outlets nationwide. But this season viewers who cannot wait until the broadcast premier on Friday night can watch each new episode beforehand in streaming Internet video.”

The article mentions the difficulty PBS affiliates have in not having set times or days for their programming – each affiliate evidently sets their own scheduling so the only thing PBS can do in promoting a program is advise viewers to check the local PBS listing.

While networks have “streamed” episodes in advance to promote shows, this is something of a first as they show an entire episode online before the show airs.

Is this jumping the gun or “scooping” each other?

Executives at WNET, which produces the series in association with the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkley, Calif., indicated they “were not concerned that online audience would cannibalize on-air viewing.”

Stephen Segaller, WNET’s director of news and public affairs programming, and the executive in charge of “Exposé” said,

“The decision to make “Exposé” episodes available first online made “a statement about our collective, institutional view that more and more of our programming has to be available on every platform where anyone can find it.”

This makes sense in considering the “Engagement and Relevance” element of journalism. New methods of reaching people may further the likelihood of getting news and information into their hands. A Generation X’er may very well prefer getting information from the Internet versus watching a PBS television show.

The method may be different but the journalistic purpose is still served.