This lecture examines multimedia reporting techniques used by daily newspapers and Web sites.

1. Multimedia Journalism
Presented by
Brett Atwood

2. Online Journalism
• The biggest opportunity for aspiring
journalists and storytellers is on web, mobile
and other digital platforms
– Web Editors often make more money than their
print editor counterparts
– Be prepared to “do it all” including audio and
video editing and maybe even some light coding

3. Backpack Journalism
• Online journalists need to know how to write,
shoot and record
– They also have technology skills for
posting/uploading stories online
• “Backpack Journalism” =
All the tools for reporting
fit in your backpack

4. Web Journalism
• What works online?
– Breaking news
– Links to credible sources
– Social media integration and reader interactivity
– Multimedia
– “Widgets” and other enhancements

5. Differences
• Stories may be read and/or presented in a
non-linear fashion
• Online readers may have some control of the
content
• Unlimited space to tell the story
• Multimedia components to supplement the
story text
• Can be updated instantly with latest
developing details

6. Reading Habits
• Reading online is typically 25% slower than
print
• Some “tricks” to keep a reader interested:
– Layout with bullet points and bold subheads
– Break longer stories into “chunks”
– Include multimedia elements
• Polls
• Slideshows
• Audio/Video

7. “Chunking” & Story Structure
• Screen-size “chunks”
– Break up a longer story into
“chunk” sections so that it is
easier to read
– This can be read in a non-
linear fashion
– It is also easier for mobile
readers

8. Story Shells
• In online reporting, you can use a story shell
structure to establish a top level that contains
all the “chunked” various related elements of
the reporting
– Links to related sites/resources
– Interactive timelines
– Text of your reporting
– Slideshow of images

9. Linking
• There are differing philosophies on whether to
include links in your story
– It helps readers navigate to more resources
related to your reporting
– It also draws people away from your site (and
your ad revenue)

10. Linking
• Use only quality links
• Don’t overdo it
• Be aware of the integrity of the site that you
are linking to
– Does it contain spyware or NSFW content?
– Does it contain illegal content?

11. SEO &The Power of the Headline
• The headline is more critical than ever
– Can help determine how/if your story gets
indexed on keyword searches
– It often serves as a “tease” to convince the reader
to click on the link to get the full story
– Real problem with “clickbait” that serves as a bait-
and-switch from promised content to what is
actually in the story

12. Social Media & News
• Social media is critical for discovery and
distribution of your reporting
• It can also be used to help research topics and
to round up sources

13. “Widgets” & Add-Ons
• There are multiple services that you can
use to get embeddable widgets and add-
ons for your reporting
– Google Media Tools
– Facebook Media Tools
– Twitter Resources for Media

14. Interactive Graphics
• Many sites are using interactive graphics to tell a key
part of the story
• See several award-winning examples at the Society for
News Design Web site

15. Photo Galleries & Slideshows
• Many articles are supplemented by
embedded photo galleries and slideshows
• There are many software options that can
be used including
– SoundSlides
– Slideshare

16. Photo Galleries & Slideshows
• Two examples from
The Record
– Johnny Cash memorial
– Gastric bypass surgery

17. Cutline Captions
• Cutlines are the captions under
a photo
• Used to let readers know what
the story is about and why the
photo is significant
• Should include:
– Who is in the photo
– What the people are doing
– When, where and why the
photo was taken
– How the photo was taken
(optional)
Gene Beley, left, strides
behind Johnny Cash as
they cross the yard at
Folsom Prison.

18. Mobile Storytelling & More
• Ephemeral storytelling
– Snapchat
• Live video streaming/sharing
– Periphone/Meerkat
• Virtual reality
– Oculus/Vive