THE COMPRESSION CRISIS: HOW SHORT-FORM VIDEO IS REWIRING INTERNET JOURNALISM
Abstract
Internet journalism has undergone a structural pivot that extends far beyond changing reading habits. The dominant channel for news discovery among audiences under 35 is no longer websites, newsletters, or traditional social feeds—it is short-form video. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts now serve as primary news entry points for over 60% of young adults in surveyed markets (Reuters Institute, 2025). This shift is not merely altering distribution; it is fundamentally reshaping journalistic workflows, editorial standards, and audience comprehension. This article examines the compression crisis in digital news: how sub-60-second video formats create systemic tensions between platform algorithms and journalistic integrity, why context loss matters for democratic discourse, and how forward-looking newsrooms are adapting without sacrificing verification.