picking the right media for a story

Here are the types of stories or aspects of stories that lend themselves to text:

Background information - a FAQ can be a very effective way to give people background information. Examples:

• Remnants of War - UC Berkeley Journalism School student project - click on the FAQs link

Analysis and explanation

Pros and cons of an issue

History - although a graphical timeline can be more effective

Thumbnails for profiles - biographical facts about people in a story

Summaries - especially important with a multimedia package. Include a text box to tell people what the package or a particular page is all about. Examples:

• Changing Times - Pittsburg - UC Berkeley Journalism School News21 project (imagine this page without the summary box to the left)

Breaking news - the quickest way to get information out, and the most efficient way for people to scan it for what's happening now. Examples:

• Discovery Channel hostage situation - TBD.com breaking news coverage (see Lost Remote's description of TBD.com's "river of news" coverage)

Readings and Resources

• Transformation to Digital Journalism - Text - a section on text in another KDMC guide