Data, Docs, Maps and … Text:

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

The functional side(s) of new media

Documents

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 formato PDFo Image

• Editable formato Raw attachmentso Google Docs

PrimoPDF

• Convert documents to PDFs for free

$0Price tag:

• Know how to upload files• Have an e-mail address

Skills needed

Zoomify

• Create zoomable, draggable images

• Good for blueprints, detailed drawings

$0Price tag:

• Basic image editing skills

Skills needed

Zamzar

• Convert just about any file format to a more widely-used one

$0Price tag:

• Know how to upload files• Know how to download an e-

mail attachment

Skills needed

Text(That stuff they used to pay us for)

Ways to share

• Long formato Traditional storieso Wikis

• Medium formato Traditional storieso Blogs

• Short form, quick hito “Microblogs”o Live blogs

• Interactivelyo Chatso Discussions

Blogs

• Blogging is just a formato Not all blogs are diarieso 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 setups

Hosted 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

$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

$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

$0Price tag:

• Basic Web skills• Know 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

$0Price tag:

• Know how to embed code• Know how to upload files

Skills needed

Map a List

• Lets you create maps from your Google Docs spreadsheets

$0Price tag:

• Know how to embed code• Know how to use Google Docs

Skills needed