Synagogue Shooting

View Larger Map

Anchorage Daily News

The Anchorage Daily News, incorporates a variety of multimedia devices into its online site.
For starters, on the “Home” page, there is an entire tab devoted to all things multimedia, e.g. slideshows, video, etc.  The slideshows are sorted into different categories ranging from “Wildlife” to “Military”. These pictures are high quality and capitivating. They are rich in action, emotion, detail and they take the viewer to the scene of the action, whether that’s boating with a sea of whales or sitting in the living room of Lauren Bretz, the wife of a soldier deployed in Iraq. In the latter case, the slideshow incorporates narrative that guides the reader from scene to scene, explaining the action as it occurs.

The videos on the site could use some work. With a more “home video” feel, they are lacking in strength and depth of coverage. They footage is rocky, with bad scene lighting and shoddy coverage of the assigned material. Take for instance this video (WARNING! It’s graphic). With better audio, visual details, and camera skills, the video could be vastly improved giving more power to the subject matter. If the videos are weak, than viewers will stray to a site that has more reputable content.

Youth Violence on the Streets of Chicago

It’s coined the name “urban terrorism” and it’s taken Chicago and the youths in it by force.

Derrion Albert, a 16-year-old student at Fenger High School, was on his way home from school when he was brutally beaten by a group of youths.

Derrion is now another statistic to add to the growing rate of youth violence: violence spawned by what’s being called “urban terrorism” or “youth lynching”. This year alone, 40 children under the age of 18, have been murdered in Chicago.

Photo courtesy of The Chicago Tribune. Copyrighted by Abel Uribe

“There’s a lot of frustration and there’s a lot of pain right now–there should be,” said Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. after speaking in a neighborhood where another 16-year-old was beaten to death.

But Chicago’s not alone in the map of teen violence. According to a study released by the Justice Department, this problem extends across the country.

Multimedia Storytelling Giveth Life

Multimedia journalism goes beyond the traditional framework that many newspapers still find themselves mucking around in. It embraces new age media and the web by handing over the remote to the reader. They get to pick what they want to engage in and read.

Take for instance Lansing State Journal and its interactive web series entitled “Unmasking the Violence.” Farrah Fawcett’s bloodied, half-beaten face as she nervously nibbles on her fingernail are in themselves curiosity inducing, especially given her recent death. The multimedia’s series opens with, “The Burning Bed:” the true story of Francine Hughes and the murder that marked a turning point in the crusade against violence.

Picture provided by Lansing State Journal

The narrative in itself is captivating– full of lush and descriptive images, it provides the framework for a journey. Also included in the story are commentary from other violence victims, pictures, statistics, a panel discussion and a host of other interactive tools for readers to become more engaged in the story. Interactive elements keep readers glued to the page instead of searching elsewhere for the information. When the content is relevant, fresh, imaginative, and appetizing, readers are more likely to feast on the banquet you present.

Multimedia storytelling takes away the “skin and bones” structure that newspapers serve up on their silver platter. It takes away the bones and leaves in its place a plethora of meat lathered in the creative juices that good writing aptly needs to be remembered. Multimedia devices allow journalism to shine in all its glory. It takes it back to its roots. After all, journalists are narrators and their stories have the ability to bring about great change in the world. More is needed than just bare “skeleton” stories–life is needed and that’s what multimedia devices bring to the table. They bring that extra “oomph” with pictures, voices, videos, dialogue and music.

Could Crowdsourcing Outsource Professionals?

October 1, 2009

Crowdsourcing, as defined by Jeff Howe, is, “the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually and employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.”

With an economic decline that’s been described as the worst since the great depression, more and more journalists are getting laid off at major newspapers. Blogging is on the rise with more people taking their views to the internet, these of which often producing a plethora of fresh ideas. Amateur photographers with only a camera, computer, and photoshop are producing photographs that rival professional’s work.  Sites like istockphoto.com, are outsourcing professional photographers by offering quality photographs for pennies below the cost professionals charge. With this new market, how can professional newspapers use this crowd of sources which are only a click away?

As part of this assignment, I reviewed a story published by the Los Angeles Times entitled, “New-car sales fall at Ford, Nissan as ‘cash for clunkers’ ends,” and reviewed the areas where the writer could have used crowdsourcing.

As there were no pictures for the story, the writer could have benefited from the istockphoto.com site by purchasing a few general photos of cars. Included in these photos could have been a shot of cars at a dealership or a couple purchasing a vehicle.

The writer could have also benefited from Twitter  by getting in contact with those who had taken their views and experiences from ‘Cash for Clunkers’ to the Internet. There are a lot of people who are eager and willing to relate their experiences and sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a good start.

These are just a few of the many ways that newspapers can harness the power of crowdsourcing, while still maintaining proper journalistic standards.

Crowdsourcing will never outsource the need for professionals because in the end, people still want that trust and accuracy guaranteed by professionals.

Website of the Day

As part of my online journalism class, I was asked to direct a critical eye to a news website outside the North Texas area, examining its flaws and attributes. The website I chose was the Chicago Tribune, a decently sized newspaper serving the greater Chicago area.

Other than the irritating pop-up ad that immediately procured itself on the page as I started to scroll to the main story, the website had an easy, well-planned layout that had an almost fluid-like flow to it. At the top of the page are the main links to all the different sections of the paper, such as “Travel” and “Business”. The main stories in each of these categories are also listed on the Home page. While it takes some scrolling to get to the sections near the end of the page, it is not a boring or chaotic ride. Each section is roped off, as it were, according to its topic. Ads are minimal and unobtrusive, although some have the potential to be confused with a story.

At the end of the “Home” page, there is a section devoted to the Chicago Tribune’s columnists and their identity. This section gives photos, names, and the recent stories they’ve written. As a reader, I appreciated this addition because it gives a personal feel to the paper. These columnists aren’t talking heads hidden behind black and white print, they have faces and voices to go with them. They are people too and that’s something that readers can appreciate.

Directing attention back to the top of the page and the tabs linking to the different sections of the paper, under the “Home” tab, there is a link to “Breaking” stories. This is a fast and easy way for readers to hit the main stories of the day without having to rummage through a bunch of text. They get what they need when they want it. If they don’t happen to find what they want, well then there’s always the handy-dandy search engine box that not only spell-checks (heaven forbid should anyone not know how to spell “Tsunami”) but it also pulls up all the stories that are related to your search engine requests.

The only suggestions I would make would be to have more visuals: slide shows, videos, stills, etc. I would also recommend that the “Most Viewed Stories of the Day” be pulled to the top of the page on the “Home” page.