Sports, crime, entertainment, politics, style, business, technology and many more topics are covered by a vast amount of media outlets. This extensive news coverage is made even more possible due to the digital age that we are currently in and will be in a for a long while.
Newspapers carry different sections that cover different topics. Their website counterparts do the same. While standalone websites often cover a certain niche, or specific news concentration – whether it be politics or entertainment, or one of the many others to they have to choose from.
While these niche sites do well to garner audiences with a specific interest or taste, what happens when the news collides? When Arnold Schwarzenegger decides to enter the political world? When Tiger Woods is caught having his affairs? When Rob Thomas decides to use the latest website obsession, Kickstarter, to fun is Veronica Mars movie?
It is easy for an audience to get confused when there are too many ideas being thrown at them. Or when a seemingly hard-news company begins covering entertainment stories that trickle into the style and business categories. But it is inevitable.
While there are gossip sites, often considered low on the totem pole, and there are renowned sites like The New York Times that are considered higher on the totem pole, it is not possible for the two to never dip into the same topic, or write about the same situation or cover a similar idea. While The Times may refer to its entertainment section as the “Arts” and MTV may just call their entertainment blog “MTV Buzzworthy,” they both cover entertainment.
Niches are great for defining a certain market or audience that a website or media outlet wants to cater to, but markets change and expand. Audiences often want more or want to feel like they are learning more without any added effort on their part. On the blog or blogger’s side, it gives the writer more freedom in her pieces and her detailing.
Do you think it is a good idea for websites to be able to tap into different audiences or niches? Or should they just stick to a single, minute market? Should writers be able to cover topics of different categories or simply be an authority of one topic? Let me know in the comments below!
Twitter: @TheRachaelE
Rachael Ellenbogen 