I created this presentation for an October 2011 visit to the journalism program at the University of Iowa. It includes a discussion of different ways to report and cover a variety of topics and how to maximize multimedia tools to best suit stories.

1. Telling the
story
Multimedia Journalism
By Holly Edgell
October 2011

2. What kind of journalist are you?
 You may have a “first love” or affinity for a
particular platform
 Audio
 Video
 Text
 Photography
 Graphics

3. Forget that for now!
 Consider yourself a multimedia journalist
 Assess your strengths and weaknesses.
 Technology?
 Visual approaches?
 Writing?
 Interviewing?
 Data?
 Research?

4. What’s the story?
 People
 Place
 Process
 Trends and data

5. VIDEO
 Good for:
 Action
 Characters
 Example: Duck in a truck
 Crime
 Kids
 Animals
 Comedy
 Drama
 Food
 How-to

6. Video
How to tell a “concept” story:
Example: Economy in a box
What are some kinds of stories that may not
be suited to Video?

7. Video
A few tips:
• Avoid TELLING when you can SHOW
• WRITE to your video
• Use sound bites for
• Emotion
• Insight
• Expertise
NOT: data, abstract concepts, information you
can summarize or paraphrase

8. Photography
 Photos are the most popular online media
element.
 Good for
 Emotion
 Central character
 Central places
 Reflection
 Detail

9. Photography
 NARRATIVE Example: Navigating the City
without Sight
 Slideshow
 INTENSITY Example: President Obama
and staff
 Slideshow
 EVENT Example: Palin& Beck event (St.
Charles, MO Patch)
 Story
 Extra slideshow

10. Audio
 Good for:
 Human voice
 “Taking you there”
 Creating a mood
 Reflection

11. Audio
 Evocative stories
 EXAMPLE: Why is BART so noisy?
 EXAMPLE: Inside Haiti
 Stand alone audio
 EXAMPLE: Michael Jackson 911 call

12. EXTRAS: Maps
 Makes data and trends real
 Provide context
 Examples:
 Wichita Unsolved Murders
 Stink map

13. EXTRAS: Timelines
 Great for trends, historical context, narrative
 Example: 1969 (New York Times)
 Example: Inventing the Wheel

14. Tools
 Timelines
 Create your own: TimelineSetter
 Create your own: Dipity
 Create your own: Simile
 Maps
 embed a MapQuest Map
 embed a Google Map

15. EXTRAS:
 POLLS
 Example: PollDaddy
 LINK (or embed) like crazy!
 Videos
 Example: Mac vs. PC
 Related articles
 Resources