Multimedia and InteractivityMultimedia and Interactivity

InteractivityInteractivity

• Allows users to manipulate information and to contribute to the story

• Promotes user involvement and understanding

• Results in an online journalism story that is a collection of contributions from journalists, experts and individual readers

• Allows users to manipulate information and to contribute to the story

• Promotes user involvement and understanding

• Results in an online journalism story that is a collection of contributions from journalists, experts and individual readers

Types of Media Elements

Types of Media Elements

• Graphics• Sound• Video• Rich content• Databases and interactive mashups

• Graphics• Sound• Video• Rich content• Databases and interactive mashups

GraphicsGraphics

• Photographs—Help convey the emotion or essence of the story

• NYT Year in Pictures

• Photographs—Help convey the emotion or essence of the story

• NYT Year in Pictures

Techniques and Aesthetics

for Gathering Images

Techniques and Aesthetics

for Gathering Images• Picture composition (framing)• Three basic shots:

• Long shot• Medium shot • Close-up

• Rule of thirds• Eye space• Depth of field

• Picture composition (framing)• Three basic shots:

• Long shot• Medium shot • Close-up

• Rule of thirds• Eye space• Depth of field

GraphicsGraphics

• Maps—Specify geographical location of the news story

• Maps—Specify geographical location of the news story

• NYT and Weekend Explorer

GraphicsGraphics

• Technical illustrations—Show how a system works

• NYT @ the Met• NYT Crane Collapse

• Technical illustrations—Show how a system works

• NYT @ the Met• NYT Crane Collapse

GraphicsGraphics

• Information graphics—Show relationships between numbers or concepts (bar chart, line chart)

• Information graphics—Show relationships between numbers or concepts (bar chart, line chart)

•NYT and The Ebb and Flow of Movies

SoundSound

• When to use sound• Does it help tell the story?• Does it convey to users a sense of being there?

• How to integrate sound with the story• With basic HTML, a plug-in plays the sound clip• Supplement HTML with Java or Flash for a more

immersive effect

• When to use sound• Does it help tell the story?• Does it convey to users a sense of being there?

• How to integrate sound with the story• With basic HTML, a plug-in plays the sound clip• Supplement HTML with Java or Flash for a more

immersive effect

Digital Sound Formats

Digital Sound Formats

• Streaming (RealAudio)• MP3 (best compromise for music)• Combinations

• NYT and The Lourdes of Twang• NYT and Voices from the Polls

• Streaming (RealAudio)• MP3 (best compromise for music)• Combinations

• NYT and The Lourdes of Twang• NYT and Voices from the Polls

MicrophonesMicrophones

• Three main types:• Hand-held• Lavaliere• Shotgun

• Three main types:• Hand-held• Lavaliere• Shotgun

Recording DevicesRecording Devices

• Volume level and sound quality are important aspects

• May choose format and quality before recording• Selection of digitizing quality includes additional

parameters:• Sampling rate• Bit depth• Channels

• Volume level and sound quality are important aspects

• May choose format and quality before recording• Selection of digitizing quality includes additional

parameters:• Sampling rate• Bit depth• Channels

VideoVideo

• When to use video• Does it help tell the story? • Does it show something unique?

• How to combine video with the story • With basic HTML, video clips disrupt flow of

story • Users should be allowed to choose whether

they want to view video

• When to use video• Does it help tell the story? • Does it show something unique?

• How to combine video with the story • With basic HTML, video clips disrupt flow of

story • Users should be allowed to choose whether

they want to view video

Video AestheticsVideo Aesthetics

• Aspects of still photography apply to video• Camera moves:

• Panning• Tilting• Zooming

• Additional video considerations: • Compression, Sequencing, Sound bites

• Aspects of still photography apply to video• Camera moves:

• Panning• Tilting• Zooming

• Additional video considerations: • Compression, Sequencing, Sound bites

Digitizing and Editing Audio and Video

Digitizing and Editing Audio and Video

• Tradeoffs = higher quality but larger files require more bandwidth

• Requires a specialized video capture card• Compression can make files smaller

• MPEG-1 or MPEG-4• Choose settings based on individual

preferences, e.g., smooth motion or frame detail

• Tradeoffs = higher quality but larger files require more bandwidth

• Requires a specialized video capture card• Compression can make files smaller

• MPEG-1 or MPEG-4• Choose settings based on individual

preferences, e.g., smooth motion or frame detail

Rich ContentRich Content

• Additions to HTML that allow greater interactivity and control of individual media elements• Java• Flash

• USAToday and Gasoline• MSNBC “Battle of the Bags”

• Additions to HTML that allow greater interactivity and control of individual media elements• Java• Flash

• USAToday and Gasoline• MSNBC “Battle of the Bags”

User-Generated Content

User-Generated Content

• Forums and blogs• Databases• Crowdsourcing• Open-source journalism

• Forums and blogs• Databases• Crowdsourcing• Open-source journalism

Making Media Decisions

Making Media Decisions

• Nature of the story• Target audience• Available resources

• Nature of the story• Target audience• Available resources