Olympics Coverage Online Reaches for the Brass Ring
NBC may have a death grip on the U.S. broadcast of the Summer Olympics, but that hasn’t stopped other outlets from coming up with different ways to cover the Beijing Games online. Here are a few medal-contending approaches you may have missed.
“Soaring Over the Bar” from the New York Times
American gymnast Justin Spring explains the mechanics of some of his tricks (moves) on the high bar in this combo news graphic-video-audio feature. The video’s a little grainy and the difficulty legend in the lower left-hand corner could do a better job (is A the hardest or the easiest?), but we give the news organization props for another great interactive. Go Team NYT.
“Now Diving: Sir Isaac Newton” from The Wall Street Journal
With the Journal’s reputation as the country’s dominant business news outlet and as the home of personal tech guru Walt Mossberg, it’s easy to forget they cover other subjects too.
This sparkling article by Barry Newman explains the evolution of the low-tech DiveCam in the high-tech Water Cube. It also includes an interactive graphic that demonstrates how the DiveCam works. Click to watch the diver plunge into the pool over … and over …. It’s geeky, but so much fun. Go Team WSJ.
“Off the Wall: Foot Massage” from the Associated Press
(Go to the “Interactives” box, scroll down and click the title)
Say what you want about the Associated Press’s business policies, their reporters are still top contenders in solid reporting and creative story ideas. This video by John Marshall is a gem of the latter category.
Marshall has been sampling Beijing’s culture outside the Olympic venues in a video series called “Off The Wall.” In this piece, he took his tired dogs to a local foot massage spa and got an experience much different than he expected. Listen to the nat sound and the narrative. It’ll make you smile. Go Team AP.
Fourth-Place Medal’s Investigative Unit from Yahoo Sports
A team of Yahoos has been writing a rip-roaring Olympics blog and doing what bloggers to best: acting on reader questions. They call the posts “Olympic mysteries.” So far they’ve answered:
- Who was that mas linda Paraguan marching in the opening ceremony?
- Where was swimmer Cullen Jones during the rowdy 4×100 men’s relay celebration that kept Michael Phelps’s gold medal record hopes alive and solidified Jason Lezak’s reputation as the team’s strongest closer?
- Why do divers shower between each dive?
- What’s that black stuff on beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh’s shoulder?
- And from a question asked last night during Michael Phelps’s 200 meter IM race, what’s on the golden Olympian’s iPod playlist?
The off-the-cuff blog has an enthusiastic following, judging by reader comments. Expect live-blogging and reader reaction again tonight as Phelps whips through water in the 100 meter fly, and women take to the track in the 10,000 meter final. Go Team 4PM.
Looking for Ideas for Interactive Storytelling?
Drew DeVigal’s Interactive Narratives has relaunched.
The site is a searchable database “designed to capture the best of online visual storytelling around the country and the world.”
Register, and you can submit your own work, as well as vote on and critique others’ multimedia projects.
“Our goal is to highlight rich-media content, engaging storytelling, and eye-popping design in an environment that fosters interaction, discussion, and learning,” writes DeVigal, who is multimedia editor at The New York Times.
As storytelling online evolves from the straight-ahead text+photos/photo gallery+video format, this new site should be an interesting resource to see what other people are doing. Best of all, you don’t have to be a journalist to participate.
Peek Inside a Graduate Journalism School
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists hosted a multimedia workshop at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism earlier today.
It’s one of the newest schools in the country, built within the walls of the former New York Herald Tribune, and running since fall 2006.
Not many people have been there yet, so here’s a look around the lobby.
A photo montage on one of the walls had a quote that seems especially appropriate, given the speed at which news flows online. Click it to see more pictures from inside the school.
CUNY announced Friday that it will offer continuing education classes to its alumni for a small fee.
Constant learning is always a good thing, and given the facility, its equipment and its instructors, dedicated alumni are likely to seize the opportunity.
One for Fun: Journalist Bars Announce Last Call
Yes, I realize this was first posted last Friday. And yes, I realize the story is about the demise of pubs where journalists would congregate to talk to sources and each other. But it’s a good piece (though the London segment was lame) and it’s the weekend.
While the video focuses on the longtime hangouts that have had to close due to a loss of patronage, I wonder where journalists are going now to congregate and unwind? Post your favorite bar and news organization affiliation in comments or send me an email — I feel a mapping opportunity coming on.
Meanwhile, here’s “Journalism Watering Holes Disappearing” from MarketWatch.
Computation + Journalism Videos Posted
Didn’t make it to the Journalism 3G symposium in Atlanta? Catch up on what you missed.
Georgia Tech has posted videos of the talks and panels, and links posted by conference attendees.
The Power of Photojournalism aka ‘Whoa.’
Will Sullivan of Journerdism pointed to an incredible film on the Toronto Star website.
Shot by staff photojournalist Lucas Oleniuk and composed entirely of still images, the film — that’s right, film — “Airsick” calls on Star readers to join with other cities worldwide in shutting off all lights for an hour March 29, an action that’s meant to bring attention to human impact on climate change.
The Earth Hour idea was first proposed last year by the Sydney Morning Herald. According to the SMH website, more than 2 million residents shut off their lights and caused a 10.2% drop in energy usage across the city.
The Star hopes to replicate the results. Pretty powerful stuff, I must say. If there is anything that could be improved about the execution, it would be allowing people to embed the film on their own sites.
Knight Digital Media Center Bootcamp Sessions Live Online
The Knight DMC started a series of multimedia webcasts. Tuesday and Wednesday sessions will be available live online. (Turn your sound down if you click the link — the video autoplays.)
Remaining sessions are as follows (all times Pacific):
Tuesday, Dec 18
12:30 p.m. — “The Economics of News” with James T. Hamilton, Charles S. Syndnor Professor of Public Policy, Economics and Political Science, Duke University (approx. 1hour)7: 15 p.m. — “A Multimedia Approach to Covering Breaking News” with Regina McCombs, senior producer for multimedia, Minneapolis Star Tribune (approx 2 hours)
Wednesday, Dec 19
1:30 p.m. — “Deepening Engagement with Your Audience” with Neil Chase, vice president of author services, Federated Media (approx 1 hour)
