Digital Storytelling & Tools University of North Texas Department of Journalism Online Journalism 3340 Sept. 10 & 15, 2009

Today’s class Site of the day Website analysis

Site of the day

Website analysis

Importance of Interaction & Involvement Two key factors 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 What people learn from the news User-controlled, user-driven content enhance learning Readers making mental connections to stories “ Participating” in the news

Two key factors

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

What people learn from the news

User-controlled, user-driven content enhance learning

Readers making mental connections to stories

“ Participating” in the news

What Makes Web Stories Work Ask yourself: Can reader easily scan content? What are the elements of this story that can use multimedia? How can this story engage readers? Can they interact?

Ask yourself:

Can reader easily scan content?

What are the elements of this story that can use multimedia?

How can this story engage readers? Can they interact?

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’

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

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

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

Interactive:

Timeline

fact box

Slideshow

map

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

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?

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

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

“ 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

“ 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

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

Types of Convergence Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling. Print Broadcast Internet

Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling.

Types of Convergence Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling. Print Broadcast Internet

Storytelling or presentation: Using digital tools to create new forms of story telling.

“ Easy” Convergence “ Difficult” Convergence Central to organization’s strategy Committed and focused leadership Culture of innovation and risk taking Coordinating structure Same ownership Same values Aligned systems and processes Cable television partnerships Past successes together Cultures flexible or similar Collocated Lack of unions Not central; secondary or worse Other leadership priorities “ Always done it this way” No coordinating structure Different ownership Different values Systems not aligned Partnerships with over-the-air broadcaster Previous problems or no relationship Cultures not flexible Located some distance apart Presence of strong unions

Central to organization’s strategy

Committed and focused leadership

Culture of innovation and risk taking

Coordinating structure

Same ownership

Same values

Aligned systems and processes

Cable television partnerships

Past successes together

Cultures flexible or similar

Collocated

Lack of unions

Not central; secondary or worse

Other leadership priorities

“ Always done it this way”

No coordinating structure

Different ownership

Different values

Systems not aligned

Partnerships with over-the-air broadcaster

Previous problems or no relationship

Cultures not flexible

Located some distance apart

Presence of strong unions