Page 106 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

CONVERGED GRAPHICS ACROSS ALL MEDIA
1

In your favorite newspaper or magazine, search for a story that is
driven by visual explanations. Then, conceptualize how you might
develop three separate but interrelated graphics packages—one for
print, one for the Web, and one for broadcast—for a number of con-
verged media outlets. Consider what parts of the story would be better
served in print. What parts would benefit from interactivity and non-
linear organization? What portions would combine well with video
and animation? Then, consider how the packages could support and
refer to one another. Finally, sketch some ideas for how each graphics
package would look. Keep in mind that the print graphic would all be
organized in a single space; that a Web graphic would include some
degree of interactivity; and that a broadcast graphic would be strongest
if it included animation and audio voiceovers to provide explanations.

Using the sketches from Exercise 1, conduct some research for your
96 graphics, and write the text blocks that will accompany any illustra-
tion. Remember that the text for a print graphic will all be presented
in the same general space and should be written concisely in order
to conserve space. Additionally, think about how interactive naviga-
tion and the segmentation of content affects how text is written for a
Web graphic. Finally, if your broadcast graphic contains verbal expla-
nations, it
2 must come in the form of audio. So, you are writing a script
that will accompany the broadcast graphic, and pace and tone are key
considerations.