Breaking Conventions in Video Journalism

October 15, 2008 //
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When it comes to video journalism, most news organizations have a rule: Do not use any sound or music that didn’t occur while you were filming the story. Audio holds powerful sway over our emotion and therefore, can distort our perception of facts and events. If you’re skeptical, check out the trailer for “Sleepless in Seattle” and this remix.

But what about when you’re not filming something on the scene? What about using video to tell a text and infographics story in a different way?

One of my favorite sources for this storytelling style is Good magazine, which I’ve subscribed to since its inception.

Have a look at the video below and see what you think. The camera motion and music draw you in, while the text and graphics give you a better grasp of how and why certain countries excel at certain Olympic sports.


Good: “Lords of the Rings” @ Yahoo! Video
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Categories General Journalism, Video

Election Gets Serious, Bored Audiences Want Fun. What to Do? Check This Roundup

October 7, 2008 //
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There are lots and lots of ways to keep up with tonight’s town hall between John McCain and Barack Obama.

You could watch on TV, of course, but what fun is that? Here are a few suggestions to make your viewing experience more engaging:

  • Graphic designer Erica Smith, whose creative and prolific mind has come up with the oft-cited Paper Cuts newspaper layoffs mashup, has just launched Presidential Bingo. Pick your candidate or pundit and mark away.
  • CurrentTV is again airing Hack the Debate. Watch on cable or online. If you’re on Twitter, include the hashtag #current somewhere in your message (at the end is good) and it’ll show up on the broadcast.
  • Update: NPR has two engagement efforts on Twitter tonight:
      Fact check the debate: Think one of the candidates is wrong? Find a source that proves it and tweet the URL with the #factcheck hashtag. You can monitor fact checking here. Need more detailed instructions? NPR’s got em.
      Rate the Debate: Send a Twitter message with the hashtag #dialtest and monitor one of two ways: verbally and graphically on Plodt.

      To participate:

      1. Follow Plodt on Twitter.

      2. Tweet about the debate, ranking the candidates’ performance on a scale of 1 to 10. For instance:
      Let me be clear, I’m ambivalent. *Obama 5.3*

      If they use the words Main Street one more time, I’m going to slit my wrists. *McCain 1* *Obama 1*

      Take that, non-maverick! *McCain 6*

      There are further details on these projects if you need them.

  • For more fact checking, PolitiFact.com, the Washington Posts’s Fact Checker live blog, which begins at 9 p.m. ET, and the post-debate wrap at FactCheck.org look promising.

Even if you can’t be at Belmont University, you can still be part of the action. Enjoy!

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Categories Data + Graphics, Games
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