Digital journalism: democratizing social memory

Abstract

The use of digital databases by web-based digital newspapers is seen as a key-point in setting up the third generation web newspapers (this is a stage in which the resources provided by digital means are largely exploited in the development of journalistic products). The use of databases off ers the possibility to keep online, for public access, all information already published by a web newspaper, even that present in other media such as printed newspapers, radio and video. The characteristic of memory in the web environment is potentialized to the point of provoking a breakage in the functions represented by this characteristic and in doing so making possible new uses for the journalistic discourse.