8 questions for packaging the web
TRANSCRIPT
Packaging the WebPlanning online feature packages with interactive multimedia content
Is this package spontaneous or
planned in advance?
SPONTANEOUS
Breaking news Time-sensitive Focused on sharing
accurate information quickly
SEO: Think, “What are readers Googling right now?”
Likely uses: Liveblogging, microblogging, curation
PLANNED
Event coverage Historical retrospectives
Anniversaries On a calendar Likely uses: Multiple
alternate story forms, menu options, separate “opener” page
“The UK’s referendum: All you need to know”BBC
Which is more important,
speed or depth?
SPEED
Breaking news Readers need information
quickly, efficiently Not a lot of planning time
for journalists Likely uses: out-of-the
box tools, curation tools, mobile creation
DEPTH
Creating an experience Reader might already know
the basics Backward planned from
anticipated publish date Time to learn new skills or
experiment with new tools Likely uses: Tools that
require more customization
“What Happened on the Germanwings Flight”The New York Times
“A global guide to the first world war”The Guardian
Is the focus of the package
information or experience?
INFORMATION
Breaking news Who, what, when, where Data, numbers Technical explanation Goal: Understanding,
gaining knowledge Likely uses: data
visualizations, maps, timelines, quizzes
EXPERIENCE
Not necessarily immediately timely
Why and how Visuals, testaments Description, scene setting Goal: Understanding,
empathy, feeling something
Likely uses: video, photo slideshows or galleries, audio
“Why America’s schools have a money problem”NPR
Is this a visual story?
VISUAL
Photo Candid Environmental Reader-submitted
Video Interactive Virtual reality
NON-VISUAL
Data Maps Documents Illustrations
“Fewer Helmets, More Deaths”The New York Times
”Mars: An interactive journey”The Washington Post
“A New Whitney”The New York Times
“A decade into the Katrina diaspora”The Washington Post
Is there a single narrative /
angle, or are there multiple
angles?
STORY-PLUS
Breaking news Who, what, when,
where Data, numbers Technical
explanation Goal:
Understanding, gaining knowledge
Likely uses: data visualizations, maps, timelines, quizzes
GUIDED NARRATIVE
Breaking news Who, what, when,
where Data, numbers Technical
explanation Goal:
Understanding, gaining knowledge
Likely uses: data visualizations, maps, timelines, quizzes
MENU OF STORIES
Breaking news Who, what, when,
where Data, numbers Technical
explanation Goal:
Understanding, gaining knowledge
Likely uses: data visualizations, maps, timelines, quizzes
“A Game of Chicken”The Oregonian
“Look at This: Rainforests”NPR
“Bypassed by the Miracle” seriesThe Texas Tribune
Will the story include field
reporting, or is it more
interview-heavy?
FIELD REPORTING
Sights and sounds worth capturing
Setting the scene Bringing the reader/viewer
to a place Likely uses: Audio, video,
photo, maps
INTERVIEW-HEAVY
Policy stories Stories with many sides,
key stakeholders Writing about
disagreement Events of the past Likely uses: audio,
documents, transcripts, infographics, data visualizations
“Prison bankers cash in on captive customers”Center for Public Integrity
Are any of the following particularly
relevant: sound, time/chronology, sequence, data,
geographic location?
“Dear Architects: Sound Matters”The New York Times
“See the entire history of the Oscars diversity problem in one chart”TIME
“How Trump Happened”The Wall Street Journal
“The 45-Minute Mystery of Freddie Gray’s Death”The Baltimore Sun
“Hillary Clinton’s Debt to Feminism”Bloomberg Politics
“Here’s where the federal government owns the most land”TIME
How many people will it take to create
this package?
For more, visit…https://www.pinterest.com/mlbalmeo
/interactive-storytelling/