Data, Docs, Maps and … Text:The functional side(s) of new media

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

Docs

“Never pick a fight with someone who buys pixels by the barrel.”

— blogger Roy Jacobsen commenting online on “Rathergate”

Why to share•Transparency•More efficient story telling•Provide varying levels of engagement

•Crowd sourcing

Things to share•Meeting minutes•Public presentations•Budgets•Police reports•Court documents•Restaurant menus to accompany reviews

How to share•Read-only format

▫PDF▫Image

•Editable format▫Raw attachments▫Google Docs

PrimoPDF•Convert

documents to PDFs for free

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to upload filesHave an e-mail address

Skills needed

Zoomify•Create zoomable,

draggable images•Good for

blueprints, detailed drawings

$0$0Price tag:

Basic image editing skills

Skills needed

Zamzar•Convert just about

any file format to a more widely-used one

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to upload filesKnow how to download an e-mail attachment

Skills needed

Text(That stuff they used to pay us for)

Ways to share• Long format

▫ Traditional stories▫ Wikis

• Medium format▫ Traditional stories▫ Blogs

• Short form, quick hit▫ “Microblogs”▫ Live blogs

• Interactively▫ Chats▫ Discussions

Blogs• Blogging is just a format

▫Not all blogs are diaries▫Some bloggers are real journalists

• Don’t have to be staff written• Can be written by a team• Can be about anything, just pick a topic and

stick with it• Require time commitment• Can allow you to repurpose other content,

mooch off blogging platform’s features• Content can be repurposed into print content

Types of blog setupsHosted Local

• Someone else deals with bandwidth, maintenance costs

• Heavy lifting (tech stuff) is done elsewhere

• Normally free• Won’t integrate with site

as well• Might not host your ads

• More customizable• Requires more technical

knowledge• Can be costly• Better integrated with rest

of site• Will host your advertising

Blogger•Easy-to-use blog

platform•Provides RSS

feeds, e-mail forwarding of posts

•Better search-engine placement than homegrown solutions

$0$0Price tag:

Basic Web skills

Skills needed

Live blogs, discussion•Provide up-t0-the-minute information•Can be a companion to another medium•Put users at the site•Localize national events live•Allow local people to interact together on a

national event•Make experts, guests available to take

questions•Could also be done by e-mail (with a delay)

CoverItLive•Hosts live

blogging and discussions

•Easy to embed•Can remind your

users about upcoming events

•Can integrate with Twitter

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to embed code

Skills needed

Maps

Potential maps

•Routes of easy day trips•Locations of best area photo ops•Parade routes•Opposing high schools’ gyms and how to

get there•Best area barbeque•Show city council district boundaries

UMapper•Drag and drop to

create maps them embed them on your site

$0$0Price tag:

Basic Web skillsKnow how to embed code

Skills needed

DataMaking un-useful stuff useful

“Database [dey-tuh-beys] -verb: to transform pieces of information that are useful for a moment into a network of

information that is useful forever.”— a sign hanging in the Pegasus News newsroom

Data … every story has it• We know how to get it• It will eventually accumulate un-unsed• It can generate lots of page views• People can give their data to a lot of other people

Google Docs•Allows easy

manipulation of data

•Lets users collaborate

•Keeps users coming back instead of downloading once

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to embed codeKnow how to upload files

Skills needed

Map a List•Lets you create

maps from your Google Docs spreadsheets

$0$0Price tag:

Know how to embed codeKnow how to use Google Docs

Skills needed