Sketch from the interactive narrative story "A fire, a family, a flag."
I have always been a narrative type of gal. A moving and compelling story always ignites my journalistic flame. So after visiting Interactive Narratives, a site that links readers to interactive and narrative stories from around the country and around the world, I couldn’t help myself after reading “A fire, a family, a flag” from the St. Petersburg Times. What made this story stand out was that it tied together graphics and text in an interactive form I had never seen before. Not only is the print piece compelling (that is the fundamental element for ANY true narrative story), but the site gives readers a detailed floor plan that lets you click on the “hot spots” throughout the house. Sound cool yet? Well for those yet to see the wow factor, what topped it off for me was that once you click on these “hot spots” you can see pictures taken from inside the actual home, that reveal the damage the fire caused. Not only does the text explain to you what happened and where, but you can actually see for yourself the condition the house is in, as if you were walking through it yourself. Text is expected. Pictures add depth. However, an interactive floor plan is just genius! It ties both textual and graphic material together in an interactive medium that helps us visualize the scenario. The story is heartbreaking itself, and leaves a lot to the imagination. I would have liked to see more text for a nice balance. The story was too short, and left out a lot of details about the fire and the family. It did focus on the fact that Brett Seitz’s platoon-signed flag was still intact, leaving the reader with a wholesome patriotic aftertaste. But it did not pull its weight in regards to giving readers a full multimedia view of the story. The fire took place Aug. 29, so maybe this is a developing story. The article noted that the cause of the fire had yet to be determined. It would be interesting to see how the family has recuperated from this disaster. Where are they now, and how do they plan to rebuild? If they choose to redo the house, another interactive floor plan could serve as a different type of guide. Instead of “hot spots” readers could click on different parts of the home that were modified and remodeled.
The site is sponsored by ONA (Online News Association) and members can contribute something themselves or nominate someone else’s work. Interactive Narratives is designed to share these interactive stories from the best and brightest in online journalism—and it does not disappoint. Stories like “Das palafitas as ilhas de concreto” produced by Sidclei Sobral, are featured as written and produced, in its original language. However the graphic and digital effects for these stories are done so well, you would have sworn you spoke the language. These pieces compel you through other news mediums and the site definitely stays true to its narrative online visual storytelling. I recommend this site to the true narrative buff. And also to the emerging journalist seeking an example of what interactive narrative journalism is all about, and can be about. Enjoy! http://www.interactivenarratives.org/
1 response so far ↓
wilsonlowrey // November 19, 2009 at 8:20 pm |
Wow, what a great site. Thanks for sharing this. Sites like this give us all such great ideas for effective ways to mix sound, photos, maps, video, etc. It’s hard work to do this effectively, compellingly AND not confuse the reader. These interactive narratives need to be “no brainers” to use, and it’s tough to pull that off as a designer. These stories also require a lot of collaboration among different types in the newsroom — reporters, editors, researchers, photogs, graphic artists, online editors…