As we spend more time concentrating on how to best tell stories that are better suited for mobile consumption, we are constantly looking for new models, potential templates that will give linear, mobile storytelling a sense of familiarity and continuity.
My work with Long Island’s Newsday involves weekly workshops in which we do a variety of exercises: from discussing the creation and conceptualization of stories that are fit for mobile, to then advancing to outlines of those stories and, eventually, to their publication.
However, I insist that Newsday, a regional newspaper published in the outskirts of New York City, has done pioneering work when it comes to mobile storytelling. This is one of those examples, On the Shoulder of Giants, a story that I like very much because it provides the “template” for the type of stories that works best with mobile: one where we have segments. In this case, Newsday interviewed eight activists — icons who played key roles in the turbulent U.S. civil rights movement, and those of a new generation of advocates and community leaders lending their voices to the current racial reckoning and push for social justice and equality. Newsday journalists asked those activists their views on how the nation is confronting its past and present, and their hopes for the future. Each activist gets its own segment with a uniform template that presents a headline, a video and a summary for each.
Here is a link to the story:
https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/black-history-month-activists/
- Story begins with a running visual that introduces the key players.
- Each segment opens with a headline to identify the individual profiled.
- Each person has a video segment to explain his story
- There is a short narrative to accompany each segment.
For those who are seeking for new ways to present visual stories for mobile, here is an example to inspire a segment. Not all stories need long narratives. This is a video-driven segmented linear story.
Good job, Newsday.
Results of India’s newspaper design competition are here
Here are the results of the newspaper design competition conducted by this site www.newspaperdesign.in
http://newspaperdesign.in/winners-of-the-3rd-edition-of-newspaper-design-competition/
Inquire about our mobile storytelling workshops!
Every week I bring my mobile storytelling workshop to a different newsroom around the world. I begin with a 90-minute presentation about the essentials of crafting/editing/designing stories for mobile consumption. Then I break the participants into groups and for two hours they produce a mobile story which they then present to the entire group for evaluation. It works all the time.
Another type of Garcia Media program is when we sign up for mobile storytelling coaching after completion of the first workshop. Once a week, or as planned, I work virtually with a team of reporters, editors, designers on actual stories that will be published as linear mobile stories. Let me know if you are interested in more information: mario@garciamedia.com
Professors: get your review version of The Story on time for fall classes
As an academic, I know the importance of having the right tools to advance our students, especially on the important subject of mobile storytelling. Please drop me an email if you would like to sample The Story in its digital edition: mario@garciamedia.com
Start writing or type / to choose a block
The full trilogy of The Story now available–3 books to guide you through a mobile first strategy. Whether you’re a reporter, editor, designer, publisher, corporate communicator, The Story is for you! https://amazon
TheMarioBlog post # 3288