Multimedia on the Cheap:Better storytelling with new media tools

Andrew ChavezAssociate Director / Digital InitiativesTexas Center for Community Journalism

New Media for the News Media WorkshopMarch 11 to 13, 2009 at the TCU Schieffer School of Journalism

But first …

GoogleAnalytics

• Drill down into your site’s usage stats

• Show advertisers who is seeing their ads

• Learn how people navigate your site

• Get regular reports sent to your inbox

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to embed code (once)

Skills needed

GoogleFeedburner

•Let Google pay for the bandwidth

•Setup e-mail alerts

•Have a permanent link to your feed

•Provide social network links

$0$0Price tag:

Basic Web skillsMust already have an RSS feed

Skills needed

AddThis•Provide an e-

mail link•Add links to

social-networking sites

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to embed code

Skills needed

Multimedia

“If you haven’t started to think beyond telling stories with photos and text, you’re

walking into the tar pits.”— Jim Ray, multimedia producer, MSNBC.com

Multimedia

•Cons▫Can be more time consuming▫Might have limited shelf life▫Requires “multimedia skills” and “web

skills”•Pros

▫Most human form of storytelling (they are the ones who buy the paper)

▫Can bring mediums to communities wouldn’t otherwise have them

Interactives

Sproutbuilder•Make

interactives that have polls, videos, news feeds, photos, maps, etc.

•Can be a way to do a “notebook dump” and repurpose content

$0$0Price tag:

Basic multimedia skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Vuvox•Create

interactive timelines that have photos and videos embedded in them

*Also check out Capzles

$0$0Price tag:

Basic multimedia skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Blog TalkRadio

•Create a radio-type call-in show

•Stream your show or podcast it and let people download it

$0$0Price tag:

Basic multimedia skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Slideshows/Photos

The Rocky Mountain News TCU Daily Skiff

Final Salute• http://denver.rockymounta

innews.com/news/finalSalute/

Obama in Dallas• http://media.www.tcudaily

skiff.com/media/storage/paper792/news/2008/02/21/News/Obama.Emphasizes.change.In.His.Speech.To.Dallas-3224283.shtml

Audio slideshows

Audio SlideshowsPhotos Audio

• Anything with JPEGs • Sony ICD-UX70 Recorder [$90]▫ 1gb memory, built-in

USB connection, miniplug mic jack, .mp3 format

• Wavosaur editing software [free]

• Microphone [$15]

Presentation

• Soundslides [$30]

$135

$135

Price tag:

Flowgram•Create

interactive slideshows by mixing photos, audio, PowerPoint, etc.

•Could replace Soundslides in your workflow

$0$0Price tag:

Basic multimedia skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

animoto•Super easy•Syncs your

photos up with music

•More of a cookie-cutter solution than the others

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to upload filesKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Video

Some statistics

•75% of online video users watch an average of 158 minutes of video per month (2007)

•57% of online video users share links to the videos with friends (2007)

• Young adults are twice as likely as others to go YouTube for video (2007)

Videos — where to put ‘emProfessional sites User sites

• Offer advertising integration

• Customizable players• Content management

system• User integration• Much more expensive

• One of the masses• Easy setup• Stable• They support your

bandwidth• May include ads from the

host• May still support your ads

YouTubeBlip.TV

Mogulus•Run your own

online TV station

•Show live video from a camera hooked up to a computer

•Set up playlists of videos for Mogulus to play automatically

$0$0Price tag:

Intermediate multimedia skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Qik•Stream video

live from a cell phone

•Requires cell phone with data connection

•Integrates with Mogulus

$0$0Price tag:

Basic Web skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

Videos — making ‘emSoftware

Built-in Software

• Windows Movie Maker [free]

• iMovie [free]

High-end Software

• Final Cut Pro [$1,299]

• Avid NewsCutter [$2,495]

Videos — shooting ‘emCamera

• Microphone jack [ideal]

• Connect to your computer

• Mount on a tripod

Phone

• Connect to your computer or have e-mail

Web cam

• Pretty much anything works

• You can hook your mic up to your computer

Hands-on timeBlogger, YouTube accounts Workshop resources

• Site:http://www.blogger.com

• User name:learningjournos@community-journalism.net

• Password:newmedia

• Site:http://digital.community-journalism.net

• Go to:Workshops -> Materials -> New Media for the News Media, March 2009