Today, everything in life is boring unless multimedia elements are present, and for a journalist, it's the death of the writer to be boring.
As an aspiring newsman, I realize the necessity of--as an adaptation of Joe's lead mantra--sexy journalism.
So let's mix the two.
Like porn, journalism's gotta come in color, gotta pop. Gotta keep people hooked in the moment and screaming for more.
Unlike porn, journalism should be delivered with a certain set of societal values in mind, wrapped in a strong sense of ethics.
So, actually, let's not mix the two.
The whole point is, with the capabilities of the Internet today, porn and all, successful journalism has to have a 3-D framework. That framework is provided by audio and video. Those who do it well make the news.
Alzheimer's disease is a horrible and complex ailment. It is also a difficult subject to tackle in a feature story. Since the people who are affected are the victims and loved ones of the disease, the tact that is necessary to handle such a topic has to be perfectly administered. The New York Times' feature story, The Vanishing Mind, does a brilliant job chronicling the struggles of one family with a particularly brutal reality of the disease. The audio and video elements of the story really bring the plight of the family to life, which makes readers more like guests of the family than dispassionate observers.
As CNN reports, the hiker recently released by Iran Sarah Shourd, is okay and in good health. The story is actually quite a harrowing one, as anytime an American is detained oversees, especially by such a bastard-run country as Iran, it's cause for concern. But, as the video shows, she actually does appear to be in good health. This is the power of audio and video through the Internet.
The Washington Post reports a story on Christine O'Donnell that shows us more than just words could say. We get the full flavor of who she is by seeing her words delivered by her. The audio and video components of the story tell more of a story than ever was possible before.
The Internet and it's multimedia capabilities ARE good for something other than porn. Go figure.
The video "The Vanishing Mind," was an interesting and well-shot, look at how a culture different than the one we are all familiar with deals with the disease.
ReplyDeleteThe Vanishing Mind video... oh my gosh. What an impacting video. That is not just news, but art. I love the mixture of moving pictures, still photos, and voices. It didn't supplement any story; it was complete in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteWhat an effective example of a good use of multimedia.
Don't even get me started on your sexy lead, haha.
ReplyDeleteYour link, "The Vanishing Mind," brings up a good point: videos do things people cannot as easily. Videos have much more ability to speak for themselves than news stories do (how can they speak for themselves if someone is putting time and thought into how they're saying what they're saying?). Though reporters can shoot and edit video with intent in mind, visual images have an inherent impact that words don't necessarily. For this reason, video is moving journalism forward.
However, I do think video could easily be a cop-out for good reporting and writing. The right footage, editing and a good song are sometimes easier to come by than effective writing and reporting. While there's nothing wrong with embracing the efficient way, I hope journalists don't lose commitment with convenience.