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Multimedia Journalism
Chapter 17
JOURN 305
Online Journalism
One of the biggest growth opportunities is online journalism
Web Editors often make more money than their print editor counterparts
Web Journalism
What works online?– Breaking news– Links to credible sources– Instant archives– Interactivity– Multimedia
Differences
Stories may be read and/or presented in a non-linear fashion
Online readers may have some control of the content
Unlimited space to tell the story Multimedia components to supplement the
story text Can be updated instantly with latest
developing details
Reading Habits
Reading online is typically 25% slower than print
Some “tricks” to keep a reader interested:– Layout with bullet points and bold subheads– Break longer stories into “chunks”– Include multimedia elements
Polls Slideshows Audio/Video
Journalists Moving Online
Some established journalists are moving online to have more control over their reporting
– Example: CNN’s Daryn Kagan Walter Cronkite blog
Story Shells
In online reporting, you can use a story shell structure that contains all the various related elements of the reporting– Links to related sites/resources– Interactive timelines– Text of your reporting– Slideshow of images
Example
“Toxic Treats” in the Orange County Register
Example
“Jim West: A Spokesman-Review Investigative Report” in the Spokesman-Review
Beat Shells
Many online news sites have special sections that specialize in a particular type of reporting
These beat shells are destination sites for updated developments on a topic
Examples
Traffic section of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Iraq War coverage in the Washington Post
– Also known as an “Issue Shell”
Breaking News
Once a story is “published” online, it is not necessarily done
It isn’t unusual to add “updates” and information as more info comes in– You should disclose the change– Example:
“Story updated at 12:14 p.m. EST”
Involving Readers
Include information and databases that readers can use to explore beyond your published story
Examples:– Find a local doctor– Compare different schools– Look up crime statistics
User Comments
Many sites are now including opportunities for the public to comment on a story– These comments are often on the same page as
the original story– Examples:
Wired.com The Record
Story Structure
Inverted Pyramid– Still appropriate for online hard news stories
Screen-size “chunks”– Break up a longer story into “chunk” sections so
that it is easier to read– This can be read in a non-linear fashion
Example of “Chunk” Storytelling
“Remembering Pearl Harbor” in National Geographic
Linking
There are differing philosophies on whether to include links in your story– It helps readers navigate to more resources
related to your reporting– It also draws people away from your site (and
your ad revenue)
Linking
Use only quality links Don’t overdo it Be aware of the integrity of the site that you
are linking to– Does it contain spyware or NSFW content?– Does it contain illegal content?
Teasing Your Story
Usually the front page of the site will only contain a brief “tease” to the full story– This “tease” is usually the first few lines or
paragraph of the actual story– Another option is to compose a new summary of
the story that is different than the lead
Slide Shows
A different way to tell the story
– Two examples from The Record
– Johnny Cash memorial– Gastric bypass surgery
Cutline Captions
Cutlines are the captions under a photo
Used to let readers know what the story is about and why the photo is significant
Should include:– Who is in the photo– What the people are doing– When, where and why the
photo was taken– How the photo was taken
(optional)
Gene Beley, left, strides behind Johnny Cash as they cross the yard at Folsom Prison.
Interactive Graphics
Many sites are using interactive graphics to tell a key part of the story
See several award-winning examples at the Society for News Design Web site
Interactive Graphics
Text is minimal Animation and graphics tell the story
– Example: “Hip Hop Voices” in the Sun-Sentinel
Be careful in how you integrate navigation instructions– Example: “Remembering D-Day” in the Sun-
Sentinel
Storytelling on the Web
Find a fresh idea Focus your topic Plan and research Sketch a storyboard Report, edit and revise Test and troubleshoot
Examples
“Touching Hearts” in the Herald Sun Interactivenarratives.org
Backpack Journalism
Online journalists need to know how to write, shoot and record– They also have technology skills for
posting/uploading stories online
“Backpack Journalism” = All the tools for reporting fit in your backpack– Self-contained reporter from story creation to
distribution