Increase in Multimedia

 

Tech-savvy journalists are those who can use technology to tell stories in interesting and original ways. For interactive storytelling, they must learn how to use tools for data visualization, virtual reality, and video editing. According to (Newman, 2018), such shifts demand a redesigned journalism curriculum that emphasizes not only excellent writing abilities but also digital literacy and multimedia output. 

A variety of tools and software are now available to journalists thanks to the democratization of technology, creating new opportunities for narrative. They may now use multimedia to build a richer, more interesting narrative instead of being limited to text-based reporting. Journalists can deliver complicated tales in a more appealing and immersive way by incorporating video, music, graphics, and interactive aspects.

The trend toward multimedia journalism is seen in the rising appeal of explainer videos and podcasts, for instance. The Daily podcast from The New York Times and the explainer videos from Vox are two outstanding instances of this trend, converting regular news articles into dynamic and interesting content that appeals to the audience's digital knowledge.

The "Godmother of Virtual Reality," Nonny de la Pea, explores the application of VR in journalism in this insightful Ted Talk.

The rise of multimedia storytelling is not without difficulties, though. Journalists need to be proficient in a variety of technologies and applications, including tools for data visualization and video editing. Additionally, they must gain a thorough awareness of the many digital platforms, each of which has distinct storytelling capabilities and audience expectations. More significantly, they must learn to strike a balance between the principles of excellent storytelling and the use of technology, making sure that the former is not undermined by the glitz of multimedia aspects (Newman, 2018).

To sum up, the rise of multimedia storytelling is an exciting development for the journalism industry, giving journalists strong tools to engage their audiences. However, it also calls for ongoing learning and adaptation, supporting the idea that communicators' job in the digital age is dynamic and ever evolving.

Newman, N. (2018) Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and predictions 2018, University of Oxford. Available at: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:45381ce5-19d7-4d1c-ba5e-3f2d0e923b32/download_file?safe_filename=Newman%2BPredictions%2B2018%2BFINAL.pdf&file_format=application%2Fpdf&type_of_work=Report (Accessed: 31 July 2023).