Identifying alternative storytelling opportunities
Oct. 2, 4 & 15, 2013
Today’s speakers: Check out our Storify for some great examples Teryl Franklin (Madison) of alternative digital storytelling within Lee. Zach Pluhacek (Lincoln) You can find it here. John Graham (Park Hills) Nick Heynen (Madison) Chris Essig (Waterloo) Send your examples to [email protected] and Walker Moskop (St. Louis) post them on the class discussion board. Jason Klein (Madison) Gary Hairlson (St. Louis) Tom Borgman (St. Louis) What are alternative tools?
Anything that enhances or tells your story beyond words
● Maps ● Searchable databases ● Interactives, visualizations ● Live blogs, chats ● Social media tools like Storify ● Video ● Slideshows Why use them?
Readers expect to see more than a story online
Alternative digital story forms: ● Draw more interest to your story ● Keep people on your website longer ● Create more value for digital subscribers ● Tend to be more social, shareable ● Convey parts of your story that you can’t tell in words Best practices
Digital is not an afterthought
● Get there early: Pursue digital story forms from the beginning, when you’re developing your story. ● Seek help: Bounce ideas off a digital champion in your newsroom. ● Start small: Something as simple as adding a map brings a new dimension to your work. Maps
When to use them
● Breaking news: Maps help locate out-of-town or odd addresses, provide context for stories with multiple locations. ● Businesses/road work: Simple Blox maps can pinpoint a new store. Google Maps allow mapping lines, shapes for road work and larger projects. ● Database projects: Interactive maps offer a reader-friendly, easily localized way to view things like crime stats and demographic trends. ● Archiving: Map related articles/content in your community -- anything from homicides to restaurant reviews. Maps: Using Blox
Easy but imperfect
● Available in both CMS and TCMS ● In article editor: Click on “Other” tab; select “Location” ● Creates Google map, displays as sidebar ● Test address in Google first ● If address fails, latitude and longitude works Maps: Using Blox
Mapping multiple points
● Best for mapping related content, not single stories. ● Create a collection of articles with locations ● Keyword tag is #map ● Map displays as Google map with clickable links ● #bigmedia will cause map (if top child) to display above article without list on side. Maps: BatchGeo
Making quick and easy maps
● Free
● Uses Excel-based files (xls, xlsx, csv)
● Customizable and editable
● Easy to place in Blox
● Great tool for quick maps, with very little learning curve
● Can use it to create this weekly yard sale map. Maps: BatchGeo
● List of rows
● Can include websites
● Able to sort
● Logos can be included
● Can be placed on mobile
● Searchable
● Effective visual tool
Databases: Caspio
Searchable databases are golden
● Provide public service ● Empower readers to dive deeper into a story ● Relatively easy ● Another way to use info you already have ● Long shelf life ● Drive site traffic 1 million pageviews since Jan. 2012 1 out of every 159 clicks on the site Databases: Caspio
When to use them Any time you have a large spreadsheet that can’t be easily shown with a simple table and you think readers would enjoy searching through it.
● Public employee salaries ● Recipes ● Race winners ● Your own data ● Police records ● Tax info, property sales ● Schools data Databases: Caspio
Powerful, cloud-based tool
● Great tool for editable data
● Able to make maps, too
● Intermediate to expert experience needed
● Great for cloud-based forms
● One example is a school closings module Databases: Caspio
Weather closings example
● Update on the fly
● Can delete record (If you have access to the submit webpage)
● Able to sort
● Can be placed on mobile
● Easy to add record; reporters love its simplicity.
● Effective visual tool – easy to read Interactives, visualizations
When to use them: It’s all about the data
● Do you have good data? ● Do you have a story to tell? ● Is a visual element important to convey the data? ● Would it help people digest information? Before you select a tool, ask: ● What are you trying to convey with the data? Ex: Time = line chart; Geography = map; Comparisons = bar chart Bottom line: They’re good journalism! Interactives: Tableau
Why use Tableau?
● Free
● Intuitive
● Flexible
● Dozens of visualization options available
● Good for storytelling or as a reporting tool Interactives: Tableau
Examples of how it can be used
Lobbyist gifts
High/low performing schools Map of uninsured
School test scores Interactives: Tableau Interactives: Fusion Tables
When to use them
● Make maps, line charts, bar charts, network graphs and more
● Free from Google. Can make simple or complex interactives
● Most popular service: Maps What you should ask: Is geography a critical element to the data?
● Yes: Crime data, poverty data
● No: A list of programs affected by the government shutdown Interactives: Fusion Tables
They’re easier to update than you think
Once created, Fusion Tables can be shared and modified without having to rebuild the map. Change the Fusion spreadsheet in Google docs and the map adjusts. Interactives: Fusion Tables
Make it look and do what you want
No need to rely on preset maps. Add or modify code to Import your own KML or shape files. change the look and functionality.
You are not alone. A large community of users is out there creating great things. FYI: Fusion Tables is an experimental Google product, and you are at their mercy. Live blogs, chats When to use them
● Blogs: Evolving events like an election, protest, court hearing, council meeting, local gathering or natural disaster.
● Chats: Niche content areas like politics, sports teams, medical experts and lifestyle categories like food, drink and fashion. Live coverage It builds engagement, time on site, pageviews
● Wisconsin State Journal sports National Signing Day live chat drew 12,590 unique visitors who spent an average of 12 minutes in the blog. ● Ironman contest live blog drew 7,015 uniques who spent 29 minutes in the blog. ● Live blog during intense Capitol protests in 2011 drew 24,020 readers. It’s a great tool for mobile. ● Can do live chats with in-house authorities: beat reporters in sports, politics and, yes, even beer. Also a venue for leveraging outside experts, other media. Live chats can be a nice cap to a big project. Storify
When to use it
Use Storify when you want to… ● Aggregate reax on social media ● Tell story from multiple angles/sources ● Link to lots of content ● Share Instagram/Twitter/FB pics ● Embed audio/video/etc. Limitations: ● Fast, but not live ● Totally curated ● Bad for large amounts of text *This example got 19,415 views Storify
More examples
● Reaction to NU coach Bo Pelini caught cussing about fans (left) -- 37,217 views ● First concert at new arena -- 14,557 views ● Photos, updates from local marathon -- 10,003 views ● Marathon playlist -- 2,517 views ● Aggregating news from around football conference -- 20K to 37K views weekly Videos
When to use them
● When your subject is visual, active or shows a process
● For immediacy
● To complement or bring something different the doesn’t cover
● As a standalone, no story needed Videos
Types of videos
● Documentary ● Raw video ● Videos from readers ● Time lapse
Videos
Types of videos
● Sights and sounds ● Vine and Instagram ● Live feeds
Slideshows
When to use them: The five Ss
● Sports: Rams draft picks, Cardinals All-Stars, cures for hockey withdrawal ● Sex: People Magazine’s most beautiful women, iParty galleries, NFL cheerleaders ● Scandal: Police mug shots ● Selebrity: Celebrity Tattoos, 101 Biggest Stars to Play the Muny, Red Carpet ● Silliness: Coolest Cardinals names, Top 10 Things on the Pope’s To-Do List, Kids’ Faces at the National Spelling Bee Slideshows
Why use them
● To get multiple page views on a single investment of time ● Minimize reader’s time commitment ● Maximize reader’s urge to share ● Generate reader interaction through comments or submissions ● People like to look at pictures of beautiful people Slideshows
Notes and tips
● Internally generated, not news events ● AP Photos or created images ● Lists (Best, Worst, Top X, A to Z) ● Have a voice; write with authority ● Standard photo size easier for user ● Prepare all, batch upload, batch edit ● Use hi-res images for ipads, tablets Identifying Alternative Storytelling Opportunities Comments and questions
Two ways to ask a question: ● Make a comment or question using the “notes” tab/chat function in the webinar ● Un-mute your phone by pressing *6 Do you want deeper training on these tools? ● Let us know what you’d like to learn more about. Contacts: Need support?
If you try some of these tools and find that you’re stumped, our presenters may be able to offer some help.
Fusion tables: Chris Essig (Waterloo) [email protected] 319-291-1488
Fusion tables: Jason Klein (Madison) [email protected] 608-252-6109
Live blogs/Storify: Teryl Franklin (Madison): [email protected] 608-252-6117
Maps, Storify: Zach Pluhacek (Lincoln) [email protected], 402-473-7234
Maps, Caspio Bridge: John Graham (Park Hills) [email protected] 573-518-3630
Slideshows: Tom Borgman (St. Louis): [email protected] 314-340-8355
Tableau Public: Walker Moskop (St. Louis) [email protected] 314-340-8349
Tableau Public, Caspio Bridge: Nick Heynen (Madison) [email protected], 608-252-6126, @NickHeynen
Video: Gary Hairlson (St. Louis) [email protected] 314-340-8279 Identifying Alternative Storytelling Opportunities Training reminders
EditorialMatters.lee.net/training ● Today’s slides ● Tip sheet of main takeaways, other handouts ● Link to Storify collection of examples ● Recording to be posted soon ● Link to class discussion forum Homework (Win Prizes!): Post to your class discussion forum by Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. central. ● What to post: Your main takeaways from today’s class, links to examples of your work putting today’s lessons into practice.
Want to take more classes? Contact [email protected] or KRickhoff@BillingsGazette. com.