Online resources for narrative journalism

1. Online resources for narrative journalism Izak Minnaar May 2008 o Presented at the frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

2. Session brief: • An exploration of web based content and tools to facilitate narrative reportage – including examples of narrative serials, inspiration from blogs and social networking sites, and other web features to help with storytelling Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

3. Introduction • Use online resources for • Self education • Finding examples • Research on topics • Tapping into networks • Tools of the trade • Experimenting Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

4. Definitions • What is narrative? – Mark Kramer, founding director of the Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism • More on the Nieman Narrative Digest • Lexicon for narrative journalism • Essays on the craft Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

5. Definitions • Chip Scanlan (Chip on your shoulder), Poynter Institute: • “A story that features characters rather than sources; communicates experience through the five senses and a few others: a sense of people, sense of place, sense of time, and, most important, a sense of drama; has a beginning that grabs a reader's attention; a middle that keeps the reader engaged, and an ending that lingers in the reader's mind like the reverberations of a gong.” • And another 60 in this article and in parts 1 and 2 • Narrative journalism and subjectivity - essay Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

6. Stories • Notable narratives - Nieman Narrative Digest • Interactive narratives • Flash stories • Stories in sound, word, vision • More multimedia stories • Pulitzer Prize winners • More examples on SIXBILLION, the online magazine for narrative journalism Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

7. Stories • Serial narratives • Black hawk down • The terrorist within – the story behind one man’s holy war against America • Blackwater: Inside America's Private Army • The crossing • Blood brothers • A mother, a daughter, a murder • A nearly perfect summer Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

8. Multimedia • Institute for New Media Studies: The elements of digital storytelling • Kim Pearson’s article on combining video game technology and narrative theory to create multimedia story forms • Pearson’s blog with lab notes on the Nancybelle Valentine story – a research project on multi-threaded and interactive storytelling • And the story script prototype spreadsheet Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

9. Multimedia • Read more about • The foundations of interactive storytelling • Metalinear narrative - related story pieces designed to be arranged in many different ways, to tell many different linear stories from different points of view • Storyspace software – a hypertext writing environment. Gloria Stern explains how it works • Soundslides, a audio/multimedia slide show authoring application for journalists & review Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

10. Blogs • “I'll stretch the definition and say that a blog is a kind of a serial narrative. It's the story, if you will, of a writer's ideas, and the reactions of his or her audience. If it's good, it has a kind of voice, a set of familiar characters, some action moving forward, occasional suspense, a few recurring themes.” • “The serial narrative is a special literary form with special advantages and requirements. Not every writer can pull one off. And not every good story lends itself to serial narration. But when everything clicks, when the writer finds a compelling story and a golden source; when cliffhangers abound; when character is revealed through scene and action; when quotes are replaced by dialogue -- nothing quite matches the intensity of readership…” • Extract from Poynter’s Writing Tools: Roy Peter Clark Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

11. Blogs • Benton Curve of Interestingness • “We've seen in the 20th century the professionalization of journalism, only to see in this century the re-emergence of the amateur eyewitness, who uses everything from cell phone images to instant messaging to real-time blogging to get the word out.” • “Benton's thesis goes like this: Eyewitness reporting rendered in real time via the blog represents an interesting and worthy kissing cousin to long-form narrative journalism.” • Read more here and here Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

12. Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

13. Blogs & posts • The Hinterlands – “a narrative non-fiction blog” by Caroline Kettlewell • Loose Leaf: Notes from a Writer’s Journal – Colleen Redman: • Blogging brings out my nutty professor side and appeals to the record keeper in me. I consider my blog to be my writer’s petire dish, my lab where new work is developed and sometimes launched from. It’s also a day-to-day interactive journal that has allowed me to meet and form meaningful friendships with readers and other bloggers from all over the world. Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

14. Web2.0 & online research • Google definitions for “narrative” • Wikipedia on narrative journalism • Narrative journalism links on delicious • Narrative journalism on YouTube • Narrative journalism on Slideshare • Read the latest news on narrative journalism (via RSS feed) Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

15. Research tools • How to use RSS and social media for newsgathering • How to use Google notebook for online research – and a step-by-step guide Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

16. Other resources • Narrative journalism quick overview poster • WriterL – a private, subscription-only listserve community of narrative non-fiction writers • Creating the Serial Narrative: A Starter Kit - A serial guide to writing a serial narrative, by Roy Peter Clarke, Poynter Institute • Tips of the trade: Ten hurdles to narrative journalism – Bob Baker’s Newsthinking Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

17. Other resources • Center for digital storytelling and the Digital storytelling cookbook – and OJR article on the center • Journalism 2.0 – tools and techniques for social networking, information sharing, online collaboration and multimedia production Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

18. Questions and discussion Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008

19. Izak Minnaar is a journalist and editorial manager, specialising in news research and information management in newsrooms. He is currently Head of News Research at the SABC. The Research unit uses computer-aided journalism (CAJ) techniques and tools to gather information and to publish a news intranet featuring research material and other information resources. This service is used by SABC radio and TV news and current affairs programmes as well as new media services for editorial coverage planning and programme production. Before establishing the News Research unit 10 years ago, Izak worked for print media, moved to television news and magazine programmes, was involved in setting up the SABC’s first online news service in 1999 and coordinated several special broadcast projects, including election coverage and high profile multilateral conferences taking place in South Africa. Izak regularly presents courses in computer aided journalism covering issues such as online research, new media and information management for journalists in the newsroom. izak.minnaar@gmail.com Online resources for narrative journalism – by Izak Minnaar – frayintermedia Narrative Journalism conference – Johannesburg, South Africa – 21 May 2008