Interactive Storytelling Tools

Steve ButtryOnline Media Campus

June 9, 2016

Slides, links & more• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• manshiptools.com• slideshare.net/stevebuttry• @stevebuttry• stephenbuttry@gmail.com

Plan digital stories• Plan digital elements early & often• Adjust content/presentation for print or

broadcast• What is best time & day for digital

audience?• How do you tell for digital audience?

Digital planning questions• What are visual opportunities?• Data opportunities?• Crowdsourcing opportunities?• Mobile/tablet opportunities?• Engagement opportunities?• Social media opportunities?• Interactive opportunities?

Interactive questions?• How do words, visuals best interact in

this story?• Can you let reader direct, rather than

telling linear story?• Map or photo as storytelling base?• Timeline?• What’s best tool?

Types of interactive tools• Live coverage• Mapping• Timelines• Multimedia story tools• Data viz• Interactive databases• Curation

Types of interactive tools• Animation• Quizzes• Polls & voting• Blogging platforms• Autofeeds (w/ mobile tools)• Collaborate with a hacker• Learn coding yourself

Imitating interactive stories• Can you contact the reporter/developer

for advice?• Does the story identify the tool used?• Can you read the code?• Ask list-serv or Facebook group?• Google for tool that might help?

Ask how they did itChris Krewson of Billy Penn:“The bracket itself is just an image. This time around we're using a service called WuFoo for the polls; the last time we did a bracket we used a free service. But we needed one that would hide the vote totals, because the winners are unveiled on live TV. So Wufoo lets us keep the totals a secret until the beautiful people can unveil it. We looked at bracket plugins but ultimately getting them to look good on mobile turned out to be too tricky, so we stuck with a lo-fi solution.”

Community brackets?• Best local athlete ever?• Best selfie in local setting?• Best vacation selfie?• Best place to eat in town?• What else?

Curation• Storify• RebelMouse• Pinterest

What is curation?Museum curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (other sources & museum collection)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents exhibit

Journalism curator:• Studies topic• Chooses relevant

content (social media, blogs, staff)

• Authenticates• Groups related items• Provides context• Presents collected

content

Learning new tool• Take it for a test drive. Many are

intuitive. What can you figure out?• Check tool’s blog, tutorials• Google for journalist tutorials• Ask journalist who used it• Ask tool’s developer • Ask me

Live coverage tools

Is where an issue?

Does story unfold over time?

Multimedia story tools

Data viz

Interactive databases

Miscellaneous tools