Videos and sound clips are widely used on journalistic web sites, whether they be print, radio, or broadcast news sources. Usually, in the case of a printed news publication, these multimedia additions are there to enhance the written story – to show footage of an event or audio of a subject speaking. In the case of a television or radio news source, the written story may be available to enhance the video; it may be a simplified and shorter version of the original interview or news broadcast. NPR, as a radio news source, always posts its written story online as well as the full radio version of the story for the audience to listen to. At the top of the page, there is a link that allows users to listen to the story, then the written story (usually an abridged version) follows below the link. Here is an example of a story on NPR.org that incorporates written news with radio news.
News sources that are primarily print publications use video and sound to enhance their stories online. The New York Times has an entire multimedia portion of its webpage, where the user can view picture slideshows, videos, or interactive features, such as this one, which shows what it has looked like to revive ground zero. Options like this really bring the reader into the news – it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable to see and manipulate what it might look like when ground zero is rebuilt than to read a detailed description of it.
National Geographic also has a video section to its website. The page allows the user to watch videos on subjects such as the Gulf oil spill and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The videos are categorized into groups and each video is a short story in itself; there is no written article to go along with the video. In this case, National Geographic is combining its written and broadcast aspects online, since it is both a magazine and a TV channel.
Video can be used to enhance a written story with real footage of the subjects or the event in the story, but it can also be used to simply repeat what a written story said. Often the stories on Yahoo news about fashions or cosmetics will have a video with a person describing and showing these products, but the story will simply be a transcript of what the video said. In this case, video really isn’t effective as a supplement to the print story; one or the other would suffice. Granted, a story about fall fashions or cosmetics isn’t exactly news, but the video was still used ineffectively. However, CNN.com often uses video to effectively add to their written articles. For instance, this article about Hurricane Igor uses two videos. One traces the projected and possible paths of Hurricane Igor, as well as displays satellite imagery of the storm. The other incorporates footage shot by Bermuda residents to show what the weather looks like in Bermuda. In this case, the two videos are very informative, and they add a lot to the print story.
I think video, sound and interactive elements can add a lot to a printed story, depending on what the story is. Sometimes, great photographs and a well-written article can tell a story just as well or better than a video can. Other times, however, especially in the case of major global events such as natural disasters or a political leader’s ground-breaking speech, video and sound can truly enhance a news story.
I agree with you about the ability of videos to enhance a story. I also discussed this in my post. I believe it is easier for readers to relate to a story when they are able to watch the effect on another person. Studying body language and emotion can have a greater impact on the viewer of the video, bringing the story to life. Still photos can only have a certain dynamic, whereas video offers a variety of views on a particular topic. Video stories are definitely an effective way to enhance a story, whether the video IS the story, or if the video is a complement to the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said here about audio and visual components to stories being particularly helpful in certain types of news stories. I think Katrina and the oil spill were perfect examples of where ongoing coverage really benefits from these added elements. After months of reading the same headlines about the oil spill, it was still hard to grasp what exactly was happening in the gulf and why I cared, but seeing oil still pouring into the ocean weeks after the fact really hit home. To me this is the perfect example of of multimedia coverage of a story can change the public's perspective entirely.
ReplyDelete