Digital Storytelling & Tools

University of North TexasDepartment of JournalismOnline Journalism 3340

February 26, 2008

HOMEWORK - Post on Blog

Importance of Interaction & Involvement

Two key factors1. Shift in flow of mass communications

from one-way to multi-directional flow. Impacting how news is defined, the way it’s presented and how journalists do their jobs

2. What people learn from the news- User-controlled, user-driven content enhance learning

- Readers making mental connections to stories- “Participating” in the news

Traditional v. Digital Storytelling

Traditional Focus on

text Photos Periodic

updating One-

dimensional Long-form

narrative

Digital Media Immediacy ‘Non-linear’

presentations Richness in

words, pictures and sounds

Shorter ‘segments’

The Five ‘I’s

Interactivity Involvement Immediacy Integration In-depth

Interaction & Involvement

Traditional One-way flow Inform, educate

and entertain Editor/

Reporter/Producer driven The ‘old’ wire

services

Digital Media Multidirectional Inform, educate, entertain & ENGAGE

Editor, reporter, producer & reader/view

Online, TV news

Text

Static Graphic:

Photo

Text Box

Online

Discussion Lurker

Link

Interactive:

-Timeline

- fact box

- Slideshow

- map

Quiz

Interactive

Game

Interactive

Flash

Content

Online

Discussions

Reporter

Email

Interaction/Involvement Continuum

Low High

The greater the interaction and involvement, the higher the learning

Strategic Interactivity

NY Times – 2002 Interactivity at all levels DC Sniper coverage

26 choices “Complete Coverage: End of a Hunt”

Interactive maps Slide show Streaming video Discussion forum

Strategic Interactivity

Dallas Morning News ‘Faces of TYC’ http://www.dallasnews.com/investigativereports/tyc/

In-depth articles Original documents Audio/Video Maps

Strategic Interactivity

The Seattle Times – Pike Place Market http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pikeplacemarket/

Audio Slide Show Interactive Map Share Your Own Photos

Strategic Interactivity

The Washington Post – Rob Curley Loudoun County Extra

http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/

“Hyperlocal”: Local news driven by Interaction and Interactivity

News Blogs Webcams Extensive local listings

Businesses, schools, churches, high school sports, calendar

Your thoughts

Is more interaction and interactivity good? Why?

Do you learn more reading online, offline or watching the news?

What tool most enhances your reading? How?

Making Interactivity Work Enhances user experience Increases readers/viewers understanding of story

Extends media’s reach into the community

Expands access and content depth

Generates more timely, relevant content

Integration “Among-media”

Shovelware Reproducing newspaper story as-is into newspaper

Posting video from newscast onto the web “I think that the great fear was that we were all going to turn into three-headed monsters and do three times as much work in eight hours, and you just can’t. And, furthermore, you probably won’t do it that well; particularly in a market this size you can’t afford to have a mediocre person on TV or a mediocre news writer.”

Jim Riley, Director of Operations, of TBO.com http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017858030.php

Integration “Within-media”

Great reporting + multimedia using digital media tools: your pen, paper, digital recorder, digital video camera

Long form narrative meets digital story telling

Fully integrated into the story assignment process

Ability for more in-depth coverage Better interviews Greater consciousness of photos Selected use of video

Fairness & accuracy still reign

Digital Storytelling Tools

Shovelware out, Within Media In It’s no place for lazy journalists

Dig deeper, report more, drive to find more sources, quicker

Need to be more accurate and more thorough

Search, research and verify

Digital Storytelling Tools

Rules of the road: Tighter, shorter copy

Section heads Boldface type, bulleted presentations

Pull out quotes Timelines

Links Fact Boxes Graphics Visuals Audio

Digital Storytelling Tools Drilling Down – What Really Works

Timelines Old School: Static graphic in chronological order New School: Dates, images, description, audio

http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/timelines

Quality Audio & Video Slide shows Story Boards