Mainstream media journalist is a pen and paper person, though he also uses modern gadgets whenever necessary.A digital media journalist works online.Mainstream journalist is not expected to know the production aspects whereas a digital fellow is savvy about the digital media.

One very important distinction is the focus — a mainstream journalist has the language focus while framing the head line but the digital journalist focuses on key words, trending topics and ease of discovery for the user.In mainstream media, the articles are elaborate.Digital media has multi-media consumption.Here brevity is the name of the game.Some write ups are read on the screens smaller than five inches.

Mainstream media can afford complicated expressions. Digital language is the everyday spoken language with commonly used phrases and idiom.In mainstream media, there is little or no feedback. Digital is used to feedback.

Mainstream is attached to copy. It becomes inflexible at times.It becomes emotionally involved. Digital is detached from the copy — there are reality checks regularly.The approach is flexible. They are less emotionally involved.

Mainstream is research-based. Digital has got to be instant — there is no luxury of time, and a page line-up changes several times.

Im mainstream, there is less convergence of content whereas in digital there is convergence of content. Mainstream has vast infrastructure. Digital relies on power of speed and muli-media. They use engaging tools to hook the reader.In mainstream, there is less user-generated content. In digital, there is more user-generated content. They encourage citizen journalism.They are quick to assess the potential of the content.

Mainstream is static and digital is dynamic.Stories are tweaked based on traffic ranking and search results.Mainstream is a literary indulgence and digital aims at user engagement.Mainstream is opinion generator and digital is opinion moderator. It is aggregator.

Mainstream media is not so democratic but digital media is democratic.