Excellence in Online Journalism

Ch. 4: Comprehensiveness in Content

Unfiltered Information: Original / Source Documents and Data

Many 911 emergency call centers unable to identify cell callers’ locations [Times] – 59

“Scorecard” chart enables readers to compare corporate executives’ pay [Journal] – 59

Unfiltered Information: Another Example

ProPublica offers investigative tools for digging into public-interest data [ProPublica]

Enduring Background Information

“Topics” gathers reporting, different media, background on many subjects [Times] – 60

Site doesn’t draw heavy traffic or advertising, but Google has similar project [Times] – 60

“Living Stories” works with two major newspapers to enhance news content [Google] – 60

Drilling Down on One Aspect of the Story

Additional content “drills down” into story on Africa’s young people [Times] – 60

Multimedia project “drills down” into fatal collapse of I-35W bridge [StarTribune] – 61

Forms Appropriate to a Story and the Ways People Learn

Articles, audio, video, still image content combine to portray schools’ problems [Post] – 63

Interactive / Information Graphics

Timeline provides context for understanding unfolding economic crisis [MSNBC] – 65

“Politics Dashboard” unites maps and data on 2008 election campaign [MSNBC] – 65

Interactive online graphic explains how a sprinter set a world record [Times] – 66

Interactive Graphics: Another Example

“Before and After” feature starkly displays devastation from Japanese earthquake [Times]

Text

Investigative text-only story lists aircraft-bird collisions after river landing [MSNBC] – 67

Story series uncovers rapid spread of resistant germ in Washington [Seattle Times] – 67

Investigative text-only story explains how bacteria spread [Seattle Times] – 67

Well-written captions provide explanation and background to crisis photos [Post] – 68

Photos

Photo gallery of still photography reveals breadth and depth of tragedy in Haiti [Post] – 69

Photos, video, audio, blogs, Tweets, text cover facility collapse [Morning News] – 70

Photos: Another Example

Still images from Japanese earthquake show aftermath in powerful way [Times]

Audio

Veteran’s own voice narrates slideshow of his nearly fatal experience [News-Express] – 70

Multiple formats help tell story of a Harlem storefront Pentecostal church [Times] – 71

Video

Video shows vivid examples of leaping Asian silver carp in Missouri River [Journal] – 72

Longtime Elkhart resident history of his town and changes in industry [MSNBC] – 72

Yearlong project focused on impact of recession on town [MSNBC] – 72

Video enhances story series on popularity of women’s roller derby teams [MSNBC] – 73

Newspaper’s mini-documentary covers historic 2009 presidential inauguration [Post] – 73

Lengthy video accompanies series on radiation treatment dangers [Times] – 74

Mock game-show format enhanced newspaper’s coverage of tech issues [Times] – 75

Video: Another Example

Las Vegas Sun lets resident document his own gambling problem [Sun]

Nature of the Medium

Social networking drove online coverage of celebrity memorial service [MSNBC] – 80

On-The-Job Profile: Jenni Pinkley Facing the Daily Challenges

Newspaper writer created video story to accompany local series [StarTribune] – 83

Writer worked to get information for text story accompanying video [StarTribune] – 84

I welcome your comments about the site and ways to improve it.

Please let me know if you have new examples of excellent work to suggest to add.

Written by David Craig

August 30, 2010 at 6:10 pm