For my "last" post I thought I'd share one of my favorite multimedia websites, MediaStorm.org.
It's run by the Washington Post and it features multimedia pieces with high-quality photos, video and audio.
It's a good example of what kind of impact high-level work can have.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Producing for online versus traditional platforms
Magnum's blog has yet another good analysis of the challenges of producing multimedia content for the web versus for TV or other platforms.
It's tough to produce high-end pieces that run well online due to bandwidth considerations.
So even if you have really good content, you still have to keep in mind where it will end up online and how well the viewer will actually be able to view it. If it runs slowly, chances are visitors to your website won't stick around to be impressed.
It's tough to produce high-end pieces that run well online due to bandwidth considerations.
So even if you have really good content, you still have to keep in mind where it will end up online and how well the viewer will actually be able to view it. If it runs slowly, chances are visitors to your website won't stick around to be impressed.
The importance of audio in slideshows
Check out another article on Magnum Photos' blog about how important the audio is for a photo slideshow.
The fact that a photography agency would emphasize the importance of good sound to make the piece flow even further underscores its importance.
If you have the best photos in the world (which Magnum's photographers might have claim to) you still need a story in the audio for maximum impact.
The fact that a photography agency would emphasize the importance of good sound to make the piece flow even further underscores its importance.
If you have the best photos in the world (which Magnum's photographers might have claim to) you still need a story in the audio for maximum impact.
Article on audio slideshows from the masters
Magnum Photos, one of the premier photography agencies around, has an old article on audio slideshows on its blog.
I think it's interesting to read their perspective on what these slideshows can be utilized for. The artistry that can come from them is much more than your everyday narrated piece.
I think it's interesting to read their perspective on what these slideshows can be utilized for. The artistry that can come from them is much more than your everyday narrated piece.
Credibility of political candidates
I forgot to post this earlier in the semester, but here's a blog with a really long analysis of Barack Obama's credibility.
The journalists who run the blog are up-front about their agenda, which I think is important.
Personally, I doubt there are more than a handful (if that) of high-level politicians whose credibility couldn't thusly be questioned. But I thought this site was interesting for its approach.
I wonder how many people actually looked at it and/or were convinced.
The journalists who run the blog are up-front about their agenda, which I think is important.
Personally, I doubt there are more than a handful (if that) of high-level politicians whose credibility couldn't thusly be questioned. But I thought this site was interesting for its approach.
I wonder how many people actually looked at it and/or were convinced.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Style and grammar in blogs
A perk of blogs is that writers can address their readers in a more conversational style than in traditional media, and can provoke conversation.
With this more laid-back style, though, the issue of whether journalists' blogs should maintain the same journalistic standards as their traditional counterparts emerges.
Theoretically, if a journalist is expected to use good grammar and spelling in his or her everyday work, the same should apply to his or her more informal blog, right?
But examples abound of blogs with poor spelling, lazy proofreading and improper word usage.
Here's an example of a blogger from Relevantmagazine.com who didn't capitalize anything in a post and got castigated for it by commenters. Granted, Stephen Christian is a rockstar, not a journalist, but his blog appears under the same Relevantmagazine.com masthead as all the staff writers' do. Relevant, though one of my favorite publication websites, doesn't get good marks in this area as others use words like "catagory" and "are" instead of "our."
Even major publications like USA Today and yes, the Miami Herald have bloggers who have been known to slip in a few errors.
So what's the cause of this sloppiness? Is it that editors don't comb through the posts? Is it just general laziness on the part of the writers?
Do readers even notice or care?
With this more laid-back style, though, the issue of whether journalists' blogs should maintain the same journalistic standards as their traditional counterparts emerges.
Theoretically, if a journalist is expected to use good grammar and spelling in his or her everyday work, the same should apply to his or her more informal blog, right?
But examples abound of blogs with poor spelling, lazy proofreading and improper word usage.
Here's an example of a blogger from Relevantmagazine.com who didn't capitalize anything in a post and got castigated for it by commenters. Granted, Stephen Christian is a rockstar, not a journalist, but his blog appears under the same Relevantmagazine.com masthead as all the staff writers' do. Relevant, though one of my favorite publication websites, doesn't get good marks in this area as others use words like "catagory" and "are" instead of "our."
Even major publications like USA Today and yes, the Miami Herald have bloggers who have been known to slip in a few errors.
So what's the cause of this sloppiness? Is it that editors don't comb through the posts? Is it just general laziness on the part of the writers?
Do readers even notice or care?
The New York Times in skinny form
A service the gym I work at offers that I've always thought valuable is offering members the New York Times Digest, an eight-page summary of each day's New York Times newspaper delivered via e-mail or fax for copying and distribution.
The Digest is printed on regular notebook-sized paper and includes articles from news, sports, editorial, business and weather, as well as the famed crossword puzzle.
In researching the Digest a bit more, apparently it's a subscription service that 400 corporations world-wide subscribe to, including even the U.S. Navy.
It reminds me of an e-mail newsletter except all the articles are reprinted in full.
I think this would be a great candidate for delivering to mobile devices, as it's short but fairly complete and would be less cumbersome than a full newspaper in digital form.
If the website listed the subscription price, I would say as is it's a really useful service. But since I fear it's probably quite expensive, maybe regular people should stick to the e-mail version, which I can't even figure out whether the Times offers or not.
The Digest is printed on regular notebook-sized paper and includes articles from news, sports, editorial, business and weather, as well as the famed crossword puzzle.
In researching the Digest a bit more, apparently it's a subscription service that 400 corporations world-wide subscribe to, including even the U.S. Navy.
It reminds me of an e-mail newsletter except all the articles are reprinted in full.
I think this would be a great candidate for delivering to mobile devices, as it's short but fairly complete and would be less cumbersome than a full newspaper in digital form.
If the website listed the subscription price, I would say as is it's a really useful service. But since I fear it's probably quite expensive, maybe regular people should stick to the e-mail version, which I can't even figure out whether the Times offers or not.
The music market under blog influence
A recent post on the music blog on Relevantmagazine.com brought up the state of the music industry, how there is so much music being distributed through means like MySpace that fragmentation of the market follows.
The author, Seth Hurd of Shine.fm, a Chicago Christian radio station, brings up intriguing statistics from his inside vantage point.
He also points out that traditional media outlets like Rolling Stone and MTV are playing less of a role in determining which songs and artists succeed, with blogs holding more sway in influencing listeners.
So how do you find out about new music?
The author, Seth Hurd of Shine.fm, a Chicago Christian radio station, brings up intriguing statistics from his inside vantage point.
He also points out that traditional media outlets like Rolling Stone and MTV are playing less of a role in determining which songs and artists succeed, with blogs holding more sway in influencing listeners.
So how do you find out about new music?
Relevant Magazine's blogs
Relevantmagazine.com has several featured blogs, including blogs by the magazine's founder, editors, interns and even guest blogs by prominent authors and lead singers of popular bands.
The music blog alone is worth checking out for its coverage of the music industry, Christian and otherwise.
The blogs are run by twenty-something Christians, as the magazine's mission statement reads, but all bring something unique to the table.
They all cover their areas of expertise well, though some aren't updated often enough to be a consistent source of news. When they do post, though (some update several times a week, but some have been dormant for a year), you can expect the writing to be insightful.
The music blog alone is worth checking out for its coverage of the music industry, Christian and otherwise.
The blogs are run by twenty-something Christians, as the magazine's mission statement reads, but all bring something unique to the table.
They all cover their areas of expertise well, though some aren't updated often enough to be a consistent source of news. When they do post, though (some update several times a week, but some have been dormant for a year), you can expect the writing to be insightful.
USA Today's Faith & Reason blog
One of USAToday.com's featured bloggers is Cathy Lynn Grossman, a religion reporter for the paper. She runs a blog called Faith & Reason, where she covers touchy topics from the Ten Commandments in courts to "under God" in the Pledge, to the spirit of Christmas.
It seems like a good forum for discussion on really interesting issues like John Lennon's views, which may be reported on in other blogs but likely not in USA Today.
Commenters are generally thought-provoking yet civil, though as I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure whether the comments are moderated so that could be a reason for their cleanliness.
Grossman's blogroll on the right side of the page is diverse and gives voice to many parts of the country.
She does a pretty good job of keeping her own views fairly benign in her writing, calling things into question while letting her readers discuss the issues.
It seems like a good forum for discussion on really interesting issues like John Lennon's views, which may be reported on in other blogs but likely not in USA Today.
Commenters are generally thought-provoking yet civil, though as I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure whether the comments are moderated so that could be a reason for their cleanliness.
Grossman's blogroll on the right side of the page is diverse and gives voice to many parts of the country.
She does a pretty good job of keeping her own views fairly benign in her writing, calling things into question while letting her readers discuss the issues.
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