Class Notes: Assessing Multimedia

Assessing Multimedia Potential

• Can the story be broken down into several topical chunks?

-Multimedia journalists work with stories that are deep and complex

-The stories involved several people on a number of topical concepts

-Generally when you see this, it makes for a good multimedia package

-It flows smoothly when many facets of the story can be told effectively in several different formats

• Does the story describe the process?

-Infographics, videos, and image galleries can all be great ways to show how a process unfolded or events occurred

-Interactive diagrams and narrative animations can take you where photos cannot

-Videos can effectively document processes as they occur in a linear form

-Photo galleries can offer more segmented and focused approaches by capturing single steps in a process

• Is the story laden with figures or statistical information?

-Data visualizations present complex relationships in multidimensional data

-Most common data visualizations are maps that establish a qualitative understanding

-Visual patterns applied to maps tell stories that can be quickly comprehended at a glance

• Is there an emotional narrative to be told?

-Video shows action and events as they unfold

-Video is often the best medium for taking the user to a location central to the story or introducing a person important to the story

-Photos can also help show emotion, but doesn’t always present a linear pattern

• Are there dramatic visual moments that can be captured in photographs?

-Videos are best for capturing movement, but photos are best for capturing individual moments

-Still images, in a gallery or on their own, with audio in a linear format, can engage users with dramatic events

-Images can also introduce audience to a person who is central to the story

• Does the story contain strong historical references?

-Interactive timelines add fantastic context to a story

-We know how to build infographics, use charts, bars, graphs

-They’re not always necessary, but are very complimentary when used correctly

• Things to keep in mind while assessing multimedia potential:

-Even if a story is capable of having various forms of multimedia, you need to assess your budget, your time, and your deadline

-Ask yourself or your editor what is feasible

-Do you have freelancers?

-Are you generating proper traffic or page views to warrant this effort?

-Does the audience care? What’s the user’s feedback?

• Use these questions to determine the multimedia potential for a story:

-What are the three most important points of the story?

-What are three reasons the reader should care?

-Check the types of story forms that apply to your story, and give a short, one-sentence description

 

In-class assignment:

A) Multimedia List:

• Photos
• Videos
• Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Storify, Facebook, etc.)
• Infographics

B) Ways to tell the Story:

•  Photos– right after the win: (player celebrations), Trophy Ceremony, crowd’s reaction, locker room celebrations, photos from restaurants/bars/private homes around the community
• Videos–interview the fans throughout the game/right after win, film the Trophy Ceremony and locker room celebrations, interviews with players/coaches/owners/managers, (if won at the Coliseum) interview workers on their preparation for the game and what it was like working during it, interview players from the last Stanley Cup win.
• Social Media: Use social media to document the entire series/game, allows you to give quick breaking news stories/updates.
• Infographics: Compare the statistics from last Stanley Cup win with this one, give player profiles, show how the team got to the Stanley Cup Finals, timeline of historic events/happenings in the series

C) List of Story Assignments:

• Breaking News Story about the win: interview players and coaches
• Story on Fan Reactions; maybe speak to someone who witnessed the last Stanley Cup win for the Islanders, and what the win means to them
• Story on how the Stanley Cup Win affects the community: What did it do for businesses in the area? Does it affect the move to Brooklyn?
• Story outlining the history of the win: Why did it take so long? What has happened to the players from the last Stanley Cup win? What were the factors that made this team a Stanley Cup winning team?
• Reactions from Chicago: How did Blackhawks feel about the loss? What was the atmosphere like in Chicago? How does this affect their franchise?