Category Archives: Multimedia

A multimedia-sourced MPs’ expenses interview from Sky News

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Sky News sourced live questions via its website for Saturday’s (May 16) television debate with the Guardian associate editor, Michael White, and the former independent MP for Tatton, Martin Bell.

Questions were posted on the Sky News website and the feature could be watched live via video streaming or on the news channel.

Speaking ahead of the event, Phil Wardman, head of Sky News Online, said: “It’s a great way of harnessing a huge response from web-users. Hosting a simultaneous live debate online and on TV encourages viewer interactivity and gives them a forum to have their questions discussed.”

Replay the Cover It Live chat at this link, and the video is embedded below:

Jimmy Carr mocks VJ’s camera: ‘That’s from home!’

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A great video from the East Anglian Daily Times at this link. Its video journalist’s equipment just wasn’t big enough for Jimmy Carr’s approval last week. Photographers tried to grab shots of the comedian outside the court hearing in Suffolk on May 13 that saw Jimmy Carr’s speeding trial adjourned.

Carr told the VJ: “It’s not a proper camera. You’re not a proper journalist: look at that! That’s from home.”

Transcript:

Jimmy Carr:

“Do you want to grab a shot and then leave it?”

Photographer, off-camera:

“Can I get you both together?”

Carr, walking off:

“No, you definitely can’t now!”

Lawyer, to camera:

“No, we can’t make any comment at all at the moment. The case has been adjourned so it would be inappropriate to make any comment, ok.”

(…)

Carr, walking past cameras:

“(…)Thanks for coming, I feel very important. Very nice of you.

“If you’ve got shots… ‘cos I’m going to drive away – I don’t want people taking shots when I’m driving. It’s very dangerous.

“It’s not a proper camera. You’re not a proper journalist: look at that! That’s from home.”

Muffled muttering off-camera, not clear who says it:

“… Mickey Mouse camera”

Full story at this link…

(via the Guardian’s Media Monkey)

Jakob Nielsen: World’s best web headlines come from BBC

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“It’s hard enough to write for the web and meet the guidelines for concise, scannable, and objective content. It’s even harder to write web headlines,” writes Jakob Nielsen, the useability expert.

“(…)For several years, I’ve been very impressed with BBC News headlines, both on the main BBC homepage and on its dedicated news page. Most sites routinely violate headline guidelines, but BBC editors consistently do an awesome job,” he continues.

Full post at this link…

(via PoynterOnline)

Reuters using Apture for multimedia linking

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Last year BBC News online trialled technology from Apture, which created pop-up windows to wikipedia pages, youtube and relevant articles from certain hyperlinks.

Now Reuters is using the the feature – predominantly on its blogs – to do the same, linking to images, maps, Twitter updates, videos and relevant articles.

The service ‘helps Reuters.com enhance its content with intuitive links to related information available on the Web, without directing reader traffic away from Reuters.com’, says a release from Apture.

You can see it in the screengrab below or take a look at Apture in aciton on the Reuters Fan Fare blog.

Apture on Reuters

The Beeb ended its Apture trial – despite positive feedback – but with the Washington Post and Reuters using it, let’s see what happens.

Obama’s first 100 days: how the web is covering it

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Some great multimedia coverage as US President Barack Obama completes his first 100 days in power.

The Washington Post has set up a ‘special package’ to mark the day – complete with videos, more than 300 photos arranged by topic (see below) and an interactive timeline of the period – with symbols marking the days key legislation was introduced.

(The Post has used Daylife previously to organise its photos – for example during the Olympics last year – so I’m wondering whether that’s the case here too.)

Screenshot of Washington Post's 100 days photo site

Similarly, the LA Times has its own 100 days site with the emphasis on readers’ views. The Times asked commuters for their video thoughts on Obama’s progress so far.

What I like in particular about this effort is the ability to filter videos by policy and the interactive calendar that dominates the top of the page – click on any date from the 100 for more information.

It’s a very clean layout with a nice feed of LA Times’ related articles too.

The White House is getting in on the act too with its own Flickr group of images depicting the start of the presidency.

Any more good examples of coverage?

UPDATE April 30:

Am reliably informed by Daylife that they’re not behind the Times’ photos – it’s being done internally – but their technology has had a hand in the Wall Street Journal’s coverage, which pulls together video, relevant articles, images and create interactive graphics.

Also enjoyed Slate highlighting the 100 days on Obama’s Facebook feed.

Nick Jones: Newspapers’ approach to video gives them exclusive edge

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Nick Jones, former BBC political correspondent, joined panellists Iain Dale and Paul Staines (aka Guido Fawkes) at the Foregin Press Association yesterday, where the impact of new media on newsgathering and reporting was discussed.

Further to Dale’s comments on blogging and political journalism, Jones added that audio and video material appearing on newspaper websites is ‘stretching journalism in the way it should be stretched’.

“Newspapers are making money out of video and audio. They are buying up exclusive material obtained in dubious circumstances – but it is getting good ratings,” said Jones.

Thanks to video evidence The Guardian, for example, was first with exclusives about police involvement in the death of G20 protestor Ian Tomlinson, he said.

“The Guardian was prepared to take risks the BBC would not have contemplated,” said Jones, who claimed the BBC would have had to apply a ‘whole host’ of tests to the video evidence.

The code for newspapers is much simpler, he suggested: “They just need to ask, is it in the public interest?”

Slideshow: Nottingham Trent University’s new broadcasting and journalism centre

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On Friday, Journalism.co.uk took a trip to Nottingham for the opening of a new training centre at Nottingham Trent University.

The results of a £250,000 investment can be seen below – as can a pic of me gazing somewhat adoringly at Sir Michael Parkinson, who expressed his concerns for the future of local media at the event.

The opening was followed up by a visit to the Nottingham Evening Post and a good chat with deputy editor Martin Done about how it integrated its newsroom – more thoughts to come on this.

PA launches video wire service – added support for regional newspapers

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The UK’s Press Association (PA) has announced a new service – a video wire of raw news footage.

While the association has produced video since 2005, it has never made this content available on a news wire, alongside text and pictures.

Subscribers to the service will be able to edit their own packages from the clips, a release from the agency said – making the cost of the service lower.

Regional newspapers will be offered a free trial of the service, which will feature up to 30 stories a day.

“The video wire is not only a cost-effective solution for news broadcasters, but will also support regional media players at an important stage in their development as multi-platform businesses,” said Tony Watson, PA managing director, in the release.

“As DCMS and Ofcom grapple with the issue of safeguarding plurality of provision in PSB regional television news, we believe the new UK video service could make a significant contribution to the solutions currently under consideration.”

The PA’s launch comes as potential partnerships between the BBC and local media on training and equipment are set to get the go ahead – according to this MediaGuardian report.