Learn to package and present information on the story page — beyond just the story text. See best practices for headlines, captions, graphics, images, audio and video. Discover new ways to deliver information to your online audience through embedded information and context.
8. MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
Headline
Featured image
Text
9. BASIC PAGE + DECK
MORE
THAN A STORY
Headline
Deck
Featured image
Text
10. MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
+ SIDE IMAGE
Headline
Deck
Featured image now
located on the side
Text
11. MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
+ LARGE HEADLINE
Larger headline
Deck
Featured image
located on the side
Text
12. BASIC PAGE
+ SMALLER HEADLINE
MORE
THAN A STORY
Smaller headline
Deck
Featured image
located on the side
Text
13. MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE + POLL
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Poll
Text
14. BASIC PAGE
+ RELATED STORIES
MORE
THAN A STORY
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Poll
Text
Related stories
15. MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
+ PULLED QUOTE
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Pulled quote
Poll
Text
Related stories
16. BASIC PAGE
+ PULLED QUOTE/MUG
Pulled quote with mug
MORE
THAN A STORY
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Poll
Text
Related stories
17. Pulled quote with mug
MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
+ INFOGRAPHIC
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Poll
Infographic
Text
Related stories
18. Pulled quote with mug
MORE
THAN A STORY
BASIC PAGE
+ HYPERLINKS
Headline and deck
Featured image
located on the side
Poll
Infographic
Text
Related stories
Hyperlinks
20. These extra elements
reflect choices you’re
making to communicate
information to the reader.
MORE
THAN A STORY
21. MORE
THAN A STORY
Ask yourself:
What does a reader need
to understand this story?
22. PHOTOS 1• Photos add visual interest, and they display with
MORE
THAN A STORY
the story in the home page content widgets.
• Spread the photos throughout the story as
appropriate, or combine for a slideshow.
• Every photo should have a caption and credit.
• If a story does not have a photo, create a
text-based image/logo to accompany it.
23. 2VIDEO • Short video clips work great to show an event or
parts of an interview. A longer video can replace
the story text or complement the longer story.
• Include IFrame (Inline Frame) code to embed
video from YouTube, Vimeo or SchoolTube.
• Ideal length is about two minutes.
MORE
THAN A STORY
24. AUDIO 3• Short audio clips work great to show the sounds
MORE
THAN A STORY
of an event or to set the tone of an interview.
• Include IFrame code to embed audio from
SoundCloud or a similar site.
• Ideal length is about 60 seconds at most.
25. 4POLLS • Adding a poll to a story lets your readers interact
as they read.
• They can also spur conversation and
engagement.
• Polls might tip your staff to additional coverage
opportunities based on the poll results.
MORE
THAN A STORY
26. 5HYPERLINKS • Adding links from the text to outside sources can
help create context for your story.
• These can be for background, previous coverage
on your site or source material.
MORE
THAN A STORY
27. 6INFOGRAPHICS • Infographics work well for opinion stories (basis
for article) or showing statistics in a visual way.
• These can replace a photo in a pinch.
• Try infogr.am to create one.
• Remember, your goal is to get readers to
understand the story, not just to write the text.
That’s why data visualization is important.
MORE
THAN A STORY
28. 7PULLED QUOTES • Pulled quotes emphasize a quotation or idea from
the text to help reinforce a point and to keep the
reader moving through the story.
• Make sure it’s a good quote.
• Add a mug shot of the speaker for variety.
MORE
THAN A STORY
29. RELATED STORIES 8• A list or box with related stories helps the reader
see past coverage of the topic, especially if the
related stories aren’t recent.
• If someone read the story about this year’s Prom,
he or she might want to read about last year’s.
• These lists/boxes also organize coverage of a
topic over time, like a search for a new principal,
or a possible teacher contract strike.
• Providing related stories keep the reader on your
site longer.
MORE
THAN A STORY
31. Pulled quote with mug
MORE
THAN A STORY
Photo slideshow
Pulled quote
Tyrone Area HS, Tyrone, Pa.
tyroneeagleeyenews.com
32. MORE
THAN A STORY
Featured image
Pulled quote
La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, Calif.
mavlifenews.com
33. MORE
THAN A STORY
Pulled Quote
Sweet Graphic
Westside HS, Omaha, Nebraska
westsidewired.org
34. MORE
THAN A STORY
Featured image
Poll
Edina (Minn.) HS
edinazephyrus.com
35. MORE
THAN A STORY
Wordy summary deck
Featured image
Video
Pulled quote
Related stories box
Hyperlinks
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
St. Louis Park, Minn.
bsmknighterrant.com
37. MORE
THAN A STORY
Take a printed story and
indicate the extra
elements you’d add.
38. What does the story need?
What can you include online?
MORE
THAN A STORY
• Photos
• Video
• Audio
• Polls
• Hyperlinks
• Infographics
• Pull quote
• Related Stories
47. CONFER IN ADVANCE 1• When story is assigned, discuss with the writer
the possible coverage elements, especially
photos.
• Does the writer need to take candid photos or
mug shots? Video? Audio?
• Work through a checklist. Make sure photo editor
is in the loop.
MORE
THAN A STORY
48. DISTRIBUTE THE WORK 2• Writer should be able to provide:
• Story in draft mode
• Hyperlinks to background or source material.
• A suggested pull quote
• At least one related link from the news website
• Writer can suggest a possible poll for
engagement.
• Encourage writers to participate in social media
promotion of their stories.
MORE
THAN A STORY
49. WEB EDITORS
3AREN’T CLERKS • Web editors are presentation managers who
understand how a story can be told online.
• Adding story page elements is not a last-minute
task left up to a Web editor.
• They must make the big-picture decisions about
placement and publishing schedule, so they rely
on reporters to have done the content work.
MORE
THAN A STORY
50. Give readers context.
Take advantage of unique
aspects of the Web.
Make the story look nice.
MORE
THAN A STORY
R E M E M B E R