The document discusses various new media tools that news organizations can use to share documents, text, maps, and data online in order to provide transparency, more efficient storytelling, and audience engagement. It provides examples of documents, text formats, maps, and data that can be shared, as well as free and easy-to-use tools like Google Docs, Blogger, CoverItLive, UMapper, and Mapalist that require basic skills to use for sharing these elements online.

1. Data, Docs, Maps and … Text: Andrew Chavez Associate Director / Digital Initiatives Texas Center for Community Journalism New Media for the News Media Workshop March 11 to 13, 2009 at the TCU Schieffer School of Journalism The functional side(s) of new media

2. Documents

3. Why to share Transparency More efficient story telling Provide varying levels of engagement Crowd sourcing

4. Things to share Meeting minutes Public presentations Budgets Police reports Court documents Restaurant menus to accompany reviews

5. How to share Read-only format PDF Image Editable format Raw attachments Google Docs

6. PrimoPDF Convert documents to PDFs for free $0 Price tag: Know how to upload files Have an e-mail address Skills needed

7. Zoomify Create zoomable, draggable images Good for blueprints, detailed drawings $0 Price tag: Basic image editing skills Skills needed

8. Zamzar Convert just about any file format to a more widely-used one $0 Price tag: Know how to upload files Know how to download an e-mail attachment Skills needed

9. Text (That stuff they used to pay us for)

10. Ways to share Long format Traditional stories Wikis Medium format Traditional stories Blogs Short form, quick hit “ Microblogs” Live blogs Interactively Chats Discussions

11. Blogs Blogging is just a format Not all blogs are diaries Some bloggers are real journalists Don’t have to be staff written Can be written by a team Can be about anything, just pick a topic and stick with it Require time commitment Can allow you to repurpose other content, mooch off blogging platform’s features Content can be repurposed into print content

12. Types of blog setups Hosted Local Someone else deals with bandwidth, maintenance costs Heavy lifting (tech stuff) is done elsewhere Normally free Won’t integrate with site as well Might not host your ads More customizable Requires more technical knowledge Can be costly Better integrated with rest of site Will host your advertising

13. Blogger Easy-to-use blog platform Provides RSS feeds, e-mail forwarding of posts Better search-engine placement than homegrown solutions $0 Price tag: Basic Web skills Skills needed

14. Live blogs, discussion Provide up-t0-the-minute information Can be a companion to another medium Put users at the site Localize national events live Allow local people to interact together on a national event Make experts, guests available to take questions Could also be done by e-mail (with a delay)

15. CoverItLive Hosts live blogging and discussions Easy to embed Can remind your users about upcoming events Can integrate with Twitter $0 Price tag: Know how to embed code Skills needed

16. Maps

17. Potential maps Routes of easy day trips Locations of best area photo ops Parade routes Opposing high schools’ gyms and how to get there Best area barbeque Show city council district boundaries

18. UMapper Drag and drop to create maps them embed them on your site $0 Price tag: Basic Web skills Know how to embed code Skills needed

19. Data Making un-useful stuff useful “ Database [dey-tuh-beys] -verb: to transform pieces of information that are useful for a moment into a network of information that is useful forever.” — a sign hanging in the Pegasus News newsroom

20. Data … every story has it We know how to get it It will eventually accumulate un-unsed It can generate lots of page views People can give their data to a lot of other people

21. Google Docs Allows easy manipulation of data Lets users collaborate Keeps users coming back instead of downloading once $0 Price tag: Know how to embed code Know how to upload files Skills needed

22. Map a List Lets you create maps from your Google Docs spreadsheets $0 Price tag: Know how to embed code Know how to use Google Docs Skills needed