Here’s the latest!

From: interactivenarratives.org
[mailto:newsletter@interactivenarratives.org]
Subject: New sites on Interactive Narratives!

7 sites have been added to the Interactive Narratives site entries. You
can find the list on Interactive Narratives.
http://www.interactivenarratives.org

The new entries include:

Journey with Abdul Hakim
[San Jose Mercury News]
http://mercurynewsphoto.com/abdul/abdul.html
He was the face of war’s impact on civilians when photojournalist
Pauline Lubens met him. Now he has come to the United States for
surgery.

D-Day: The Hard-Won Beaches of Normandy [Newseum]
http://www.newseum.org/dday/flash/main.htm
A historical analysis of what happened on D-Day, along with the
newspapers that published the landing at Normandy, with audio as well.

Plans to Make Trains Safer
[USA Today]
http://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/train_safety/flash.htm
Graphics and video on how to improve the internal and external structure
support to make trains safer.

Kentucky Derby Multimedia
[Lexington Herald-Leader]
http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/derby/2006/
Multimedia coverage of the 132 Kentucky Derby complete with audio slide
shows, panoramas with audio and daily photo galleries.

The Pulitzer Prize Photographs: Capture The Moment [Newseum]
http://www.newseum.org/pulitzer/shock/shock.htm
Pulitzer prize photographs shown with audio by the Photographer to what
they experienced while taking the image, along with biographies to the
photographer.

Zip DeCode (Ben Fry)
http://acg.media.mit.edu/people/fry/zipdecode/
A Processing site that allows users to enter a zip code…the map will
then highlight that part of the country as each number is entered.

Color of Solidarity, The
[[X]press Online]
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/specials/2006s/maydaycover/soundslides01/
Several thousand marchers convened in a massive demonstration from
Market Street to the Federal Building in San Francisco to show their
unified support for immigrant rights.

[Keyword: online journalism]. Chris Shaw gives a good overview of the state of ‘UGC’ (as he usefully truncates it). Taster quote:

“Half the appeal of these UGC sites is their unofficial DIY status. Every time one is swallowed up by an international corporate media giant it risks losing the “unauthorised” vibe that gives it so much credibility with its natural clientele.

“Despite this cultural tension, old-style broadcasters are interacting creatively with the new media bootleggers and geeks and both parties seem happy to cannibalise one another at the moment.”

[Keyword: online journalism]. There’s a piece in the latest Press Gazette about Times managing director Paul Hayes launching “an attack on bloggers this week at the Internet World conference in London.”:

“He said: “Millions of blogs have sprung up over the last year, but a cursory search shows that the majority of their information sources lead back to mainstream media. The bloggers are seeking or delivering insight, but what they need is accurate information on whatever subject they’re interested in”

However, reading further it seems that Hayes delivers a more important insight into the nature and future of the medium, predicting that the blogs that “would endure” (whatever that means) were:

• “branded bloggers” (well-known writers or celebrities);
• “intelligent aggregators” (who make little comment but drive readers to other useful sites);
• “well-connected bloggers” (such as journalists, ex-politicians or specialists who uncover information); and
• “brilliant bloggers” (who attract readers with their prose and wit).

UPDATE (5.13pm): Thanks to the Press Gazette’s Martin Stabe for quickly pointing out the original version of the story on the PG web site, which takes the angle suggested above (interestingly, with bullet points, too – credit due to Stabe for using scannability techniques):
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/article/100506/newspapers_will_supply_top_blogs. Enjoy your holiday, Martin!

[Keyword: online journalism]. There’s a piece in the latest Press Gazette about Times managing director Paul Hayes launching “an attack on bloggers this week at the Internet World conference in London.”:

“He said: “Millions of blogs have sprung up over the last year, but a cursory search shows that the majority of their information sources lead back to mainstream media. The bloggers are seeking or delivering insight, but what they need is accurate information on whatever subject they’re interested in”

However, reading further it seems that Hayes delivers a more important insight into the nature and future of the medium, predicting that the blogs that “would endure” (whatever that means) were:

• “branded bloggers” (well-known writers or celebrities);
• “intelligent aggregators” (who make little comment but drive readers to other useful sites);
• “well-connected bloggers” (such as journalists, ex-politicians or specialists who uncover information); and
• “brilliant bloggers” (who attract readers with their prose and wit).

UPDATE (5.13pm): Thanks to the Press Gazette’s Martin Stabe for quickly pointing out the original version of the story on the PG web site, which takes the angle suggested above (interestingly, with bullet points, too – credit due to Stabe for using scannability techniques):
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/article/100506/newspapers_will_supply_top_blogs. Enjoy your holiday, Martin!

[Keyword: online journalism]. Apologies for being late on this one. No surprises with the BBC and Guardian success, but read further down for the likes of National Geographic winning best online magazine and NPR best radio site,

“while washingtonpost.com and BBC News were chosen as best online newspaper and best news site respectively in the parallel People’s Choice section, voted for by 300,000 web users.
“Growing to include 69 categories and 5,500 entrants this year, the ceremony asks winners to limit acceptance speeches to just five words.”

[Keyword: online journalism]. That’s how Journalism.co.uk reports on the comments of Guardian Unlimited assistant editor Neil McIntosh:

“”If you take the view that the most vibrant area of debate for many issues is now online – rather than in print – then having some kind of presence online makes a lot of sense for any freelance [commentator] who wants to follow, and participate in, the debate,” Mr McIntosh said.

“Either freelances are so busy and happy with their existing work that they haven’t got time or the need to write for free, or they’ve got some spare capacity with which they could build a brand.

“I’ve seen blogs make journalists’ names… their blogs give them a higher profile among a certain audience than their printed work would ever command.””

Here’s the latest email:

9 sites have been added to the Interactive Narratives site entries. You can find the list on Interactive Narratives.
http://www.interactivenarratives.org

The new entries include:

Grape Expectations
[Dallas Morning News]
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2006/wine/
A behind-the-scenes look at the Dallas Morning News’ Wine Competition. Video, audio, and link to database of wine and winemaking.

Chernobyl’s Legacy
[New York Times]
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2006/04/26/world/20060426_CHERNOBYL_FEATURE.html
Twenty years after that April morning when Reactor No. 4 exploded, releasing a plume of debris and radioactive particles across the Soviet Union and far beyond, the anniversary occasions new debate.

On the Brink: Measles
[New York Times]
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/health/20060430_BRINK_AUDIOSS/blocker.html
Mothers in Nepal are foot soldiers in the global fight to slash the number of children who die from complications of measles.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures
[PBS Online]
http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/index-flash.html
The site for this television special (produced by KQED in San Francisco) combines beautiful underwater film and photography with rich resources for educators and interactive games, all focused on preserving our undersea ecosystem.

A 20 años de Chernobyl
[La Tercera]
http://docs.tercera.cl/especiales/2006/chernobyl/index.htm
La Tercera Online te presenta un completo especial con los detalles del accidente y las consecuencias de la peor catastrofe nuclear de la historia.

We Are America
[Rocky Mountain News]
http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/multimedia/050106rally/index.shtml
Interactive presentation of the “We are America” demonstration in Denver Colorado. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched on the Colorado state capitol for immigration reform on May 1.

Chernobyl Legacy
http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmotion/essay%5Fchernobyl/?GT1=8019
On April 26th, 1986, Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4 unleashed a thoroughly modern plague that emptied cities, condemned entire regions, and seeped invisibly into the bodies of those exposed to its destructive presence.

Dividing Line, The
[Star-Telegram]
http://www.dfw.com/multimedia/dfw/news/archive/DividingLine/index.html
Follow Star-Telegram Photographer Tom Pennington and writer Jay Root as they travel the 2000-miles of the U.S./Mexico border. They take a look at the realities of border life. Feel free to e-mail them with questions during the project.

China Rises
[New York Times]
http://www.nytimes.com/specials/chinarises/intro/index.html
A four-part television series and interactive web site on the oldest civilization on earth.

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[Keyword: online journalism]. Students in the Media Department will get the opportunity to grill a successful online journalist when Sabuhi Mir comes to speak on Monday May 15th.

Sabuhi’s nine-year career as a journalist has taken in publications as diverse as The Independent, Mojo, the Estates Gazette and Daily Telegraph. She has worked on the websites of The Times, FT.com, and Channel 4 Music, and is currently a content manager for Lycos.co.uk where she manages the homepage, money channel and soon-to-be-launched celebrity channel.

She will be speaking about her experiences of both print and online journalism, as well as the process of going freelance. If you wish to attend the talk, please contact me on paul.bradshaw@uce.ac.uk

[Keyword: online journalism]. There’s plenty of commentary out there on the BBC’s Creative Future plans, which involve a refreshing re-think of the whole of the corporation’s services, many of them around the provision of journalism online and on alternative platforms. Here’s a list of some of the pieces around:

• The BBC press release
• Journalism.co.uk’s report
• PaidContent’s angle: “Gives into all the buzzwords ever invented”
• The MediaGuardian’s article on the plans
• The key points from MediaGuardian
• A Blogger search on ‘BBC Creative Future’
• A Google search on the same
• Or why not try Dogpile?