1. Storytelling on the web in semana.com and
other media in Colombia
Knight Center for the Americas,
Austin, April 17th
, 2009
Maria Teresa Ronderos

2. I. How do we plan stories
1. Small team of journalists who multitask: report
with/without camera, write, edit audio, video, photo.
Of 6, two work with flash.
2. Everyday we face very rich stories (human tragedy,
political turmoil, heros, corruption).
3. The magazine-angle of everyday stories forces us to
look for visually atractive, multimedia, options.
4. We have faced different kinds of problems to tell a
story.

3. 1. In depth investigations
2. Abstract ideas, difficult to bring down to earth
3. Simple news coverage with special human strength
II Exploring different types of stories...
¿Qué les
queda a las
Farc?
Una carretera
de mentiras
Victimarios
Verdad Abierta
Tres ramas distintas, un solo
poder verdadero
La tragedia de
San Onofre
Los
desentierros de
Oriente
4. News follow-up (processes or news that last several days)
Travesía por
un secuestrado
¿Confundido
por la
parapolítica?
El muro de los
falsos positivos

4. 8. Making simple a complex explanation
5. Chronicles or describing a situation
6. A traditional story
7. A story based on a report (avoiding boring)
II Exploring different types of stories...
Caracolí: reportaje al
desplazamiento en el
sur de Bogotá
Felicidad, pobreza
e incertidumbre
Felicidad, pobreza
e incertidumbre
Los médicos y la
guerra
Así son los que
viven en las calles
de Bogotá
Violaciones como
arma de guerra
Las penas del
racismo
Las cuentas de la
coca de Mancuso

5. III. Storytelling on the web using interactive
and mutimedia elements has its
advantages….
a.Allows journalists to produce/narrate other
kinds of information generally difficult to “sell” to
editors. (state of the art; in-depth, long
investigations; analytical pieces that connect
processes apparently disconnected)
b.Revives quality journalism because it makes
difficult stories friendly and easy to access.
c.Leads journalists to choose the best medium
for what you want to say.

6. III. …advantages….
d. Mix journalistic genres.
e. Virtually limitless in length
f. Enormous explanatory power for complex
issues
g. As journalists no longer control the storyline,
people can choose what is interesting or useful
of a story.

7. V. Exploring new formats and design…
Social Reality Así se sintió el
bogotazo
¿? Cómo es de
verdad el nuevo
Minagricultura
De qué está
hecho Lara, el
técnico de la
Selección
Colombia
PROYECTO
GPS, reparación
simbólica del
territorio
10 historias
ineditas de la
cultura
colombiana
El Tiempo

8. VI. Challenges
1. Think different as you can no longer lead the
thread of thought.
2. Innovate permanently
3. Clarify concepts. Muddy ideas in stories look
worse on the internet.
4. Find ways to share content of stories. Involve
readers/viewers in producing content of complex
stories.
5. Make better use of each media according to
content.
!So yes, I think we are creating new narratives but
we are still in the cave ages!