Newstrain When to do what

When to do what?

Considerations

Staffing - Who’s available.

Skill sets - Who knows how to do what.

Planning - Organize for the breaking story

Equipment - laptops? Video cameras? Audio recorders? Software?

Breaking, Developing, Enterprise

Breaking news - Get it online quickly. Immediacy is key (crime, weather).

Developing news - Get it online, with advanced planning (elections).

Enterprise - Expand the story with a variety of entry points. Depth is key.

be judicious

Not every tool for every story, but know you have tools for other stories.

Visuals

Video

Pros - can bring compelling moving images to a story. Third-party services can spread content to wider audience.

Cons - time-intensive, requires equipment, ROI is questionable, unless it’s breaking news.

When to use? Strong visuals, process, man-on-street, breaking news.

VisualsAudio Slideshows

Pros - Less time intensive than video, easier to capture still images than good video, using Soundslides can be easier to produce.

Cons - Right mix of audio and photos can be difficult to achieve. Low ROI? Can be difficult to embed in some CMS software.

When to use? Strong visuals, compelling audio are key. When you don’t have/can’t get video.

Visuals

Slideshows

Pros - Still photographers already taking photos. Less time-intensive. Slideshow creation software is becoming easier to use. Users seem to like strong slideshows.

Cons - Relatively static.

When to use? Strong visual element to the story. When you have good photography that doesn’t fit in the print edition. When you don’t have video/audio equipment or time to produce more.

VisualsUser Submitted Content (photos/video)

Pros - Engages users in telling the story. Easy way to add content to the site. Can be done through third-party sites.

Cons - Can be time-intensive if you get a lot of submissions and are moderating content. Needs a server solution for hosting.

When to use? Breaking news situations seem to lend themselves to UGC. Also, events with a large potential audience (state fair? homecoming, etc.)

Visuals

Livestreaming Video

Pros - Immediate, free tools available, can be archived for future viewing. Doesn’t have to be as visually appealing as edited video.

Cons - Requires equipment, internet connection; broadcast rights questions; time commitment.

When to use? Breaking news, news conference, workshop, speech, meeting.

Audio

Pros - Can provide depth to story, accountability, transparency. Podcasts allow users to download and place-shift content. Free software available. Reporters are already interviewing people.

Cons - Can be difficult to get quality audio. Longer audio pieces require editing time. No visuals.

When to use: Actualities of officials, eyewitnesses, longer interviews with interesting people, explaining the news.

Text

Liveblogging

Pros - Free tools, immediacy, chat-enabling, can be embedded on site via iframe, easy to use.

Cons - Scrolling can be a problem, text-heavy, wireless connection, copy-editing(?), Internet connection.

When to use - Breaking news, news conference, chat with experts, newsroom discussions, events.

Text

Link Journalism - Publish2

Pros - easy aggregate related news into one place, link to outside sources, send people away to keep them coming back.

Cons - Requires finding web-based sources, time intensive.

When to use: Always. Links are the lifeblood of the Internet.

Maps

Pros - Free map tools through Google Maps. Can be used with spreadsheets. Code for website is generated automatically, served as iframe.

Cons - without automating process, map becomes static.

When to use: Stories with strong geographic element, multiple points of interest can/should be mapped. Also useful for local guides (think advertising).

Timelines

Pros - A couple of free services available - relatively easy to use. Some allow for multimedia elements. Lets users see how the story developed.

Cons - Time to produce if using multimedia elements.

When to use? Developing stories, long-term issues in the community, historical retrospectives.

Databases

Pros - Organizes massive amounts of information, searchable, popular.

Cons - Difficult to set up, who inputs data? Updates.

When to use: Evergreen content, data-driven stories.

Interactives

Pros - useful for explanatory graphic elements, tying together multimedia in one place.

Cons - Flash = $$$, time-intensive, technical hurdles, UI design challenges.

When to use: Big stories with lots of elements, complex topics that can benefit from explanation, information that changes from user to user (calculators).

Social Media

Twitter

Pros - Easy to use, generates traffic, allows people to “follow,” can add engagement, immediate, reaches tech-savvy early adopters.

Cons - immediate, lacks editing, can be abused, low potential audience (depending on geography).

When to use? Breaking/Developing news, promote important stories, engage users, respond to questions.

Social Media

Facebook

Pros - Allows you to create a page which can automatically feed content from an RSS feed. Connect with potential users. Facebook Connect allows verified identity for comments.

Cons - Privacy concerns from users. Facebook Connect has to be configured for your site.

When to use - marketing effort for your stories.

Social Media

Ning

Pros - lets you easily set up a place for niche audience to interact, with blogs, photo uploads, profiles, etc.

Cons - Have to find the right audience, can be difficult to maintain momentum.

When to use? Rabid fans, strong local appeal. ???

Example: gosmokies.knoxnews.com