It Was On A Night Just Like Tonight...The Power of Multimedia.

How does multimedia enhance our messaging? Are certain multimedia techniques more effective than others? Provide examples using multimedia tools and post the links to the blog to support your thinking.

When I think about multimedia, I think about the first scout leader who thought to stick a flashlight under their chin as they spun a story about a deranged killer with an iron hook for a hand. In that brief glorious moment,  that storyteller was an innovator of multimedia. They were the pinnacle of storytelling technology. 

Such primitive effects are now the stuff of horror spoofs and parody skits. Multimedia has evolved light years since that time to include digital tools; audio and video technology like Powerpoint, Soundcloud, iMovie, and Garage Band have propelled storytelling to new heights. And just like that flashlight, it has become a part of our language, part of our storytelling process. 

Multimedia enhances our messaging by giving the same information, but providing it to the reader as a different sensory experience. The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, for instance, is an example of a compelling use of multimedia. The first thing the reader sees is the headline, accompanied by video of a barren, windswept snowscape. A reader would know by reading just the headline that the story is going to involve a cold climate, snow, a mountainous area, but the video provides the same information in a way that begins the story in the readers mind before the story has even been read. It says, "It was hellish cold. It was brutal terrain. This is not going to go well."

As the story progresses to the moment where the skier Elyse finds herself trapped under the weight of an avalanche, unable to get out, there is a clip of an interview with her. It provides additional commentary, from the victims own experience, on what it felt like to be buried alive. The ability for a reader to see a human being tell of a first hand experience is yet another way this article uses multimedia to supplement the story with powerful tools.

The addition of the storm footage from the weather satellite is another great way of expressing the enormity of this experience for those who experienced it. It does a great job of giving the reader a larger than life view of the massive storm bearing down on the skiers. 

The use of multimedia in this story, as well as the "storybook" format (dividing the story up in to chapters, each with a compelling subtitle) is a clever way of providing in-depth coverage from tragedy to triumph, for an attention span-challenged public. It is an expression of this event that recreates the story in the readers mind not only a cerebral way, but in a palpable, emotionally evocative way.Which is, as we all know, the goal of any good story. 

Branch, J. (2012) Avalance at Tunnel Creek. New York Times. Retrieved from (http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Blog from a Terrible Mind.

Choose a blog and analyze the functions and substance of the blog as a form of writing and information delivery. In your opinion, what are the “best practices” when creating a blog to ensure appropriate form, function, and substance? Provide a link when responding to classmates and post your opinion along with your rationale. 

This week I have chosen a blog that I follow regularly. Terrible Minds.

Terrible Minds, is one of the most entertaining, honest and informative blogs on the business and craft of writing to date. Author Chuck Wendig's out-loud fusion of writerly advice, encouragement and inventive profanity have kept me reading for years. He has appeared in HuffPost, Bookriot and a multitude of other author blogs as an authority of genre (sci-fi/fantasy/horror) as well as an outspoken advocate for self-publishing.

Chucks blog is simple. He keeps visual distractions at a minimum, which in turn draws attention to the graphics he does chose to display. The blog page features his most current posts first and foremost, supplemented by a less conspicuous cover art picture of any published works he is promoting.

Regarding content, although Chuck has been known to post off-topic items such as his brilliant and weirdly funny (and completely objective *snicker* An Academic Critique of the Film Guardians of the Galaxy) he generally sticks to the topic of writing and publishing. As an author, Chuck is both traditionally published as well as self-published. His vast collection of blog posts, offering advice on the art and craft of writing, have been compiled and published in several volumes, including Revenge of the Pen Monkey, 500 Ways to Tell a Better Story, 500 Ways To Be A Better Writer, 500 Ways To Write Harder and Kickass Writer 101.

Terrible Minds, in my opinion, is a fantastic example of what I would consider best practices for bloggers who wish to attract and maintain an audience: authentic branding, responsible authorship and effective communication.

Authentic Branding: Chucks voice is uniquely his. Not everyone will be at ease with his style, and he makes no bones about the fact that he does not write for those readers. He writes for HIS readers. No apologies.

Responsible Authorship: Chuck offers his insight, opinion, and facts-as-he-understands them, always with the caveat that he just might not know what the heck he's talking about. He stays current with what is happening in the publishing world and blogs several times per week, always with the goal of informing his readers with the best possible information available to him.

Effective Communication: Chuck maintains a great rapport and open lines of communication between he and his readers by making subscription easy and free, conducting regular flash fiction contests and opening up his blog to guest authors. He frequently responds to comments posted on his blogs and maintains a respectful and civil tone.

TerribleMinds.com

Joe Paterno Press Release

Create a press release for Joe Paterno’s death (review the Media Dead Wrong to Repeat False Report of Paterno's Death article discussed in the 5-1 Discussion). Craft an accompanying Facebook post. Hint: Consider ways to make this story meaningful to a wide audience and not just an announcement of a potential tragic loss.

Penn State Legend Joe Paterno Dies Amid Controversy

The long celebrated, and recently villainized, Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed away at Mount Nittany Medical Center Sunday morning from lung cancer. Paterno, known to friends as "JoePa", built his reputation as a driven, dedicated football coach who ushered no less than 250 former student players to the NFL.

His last days were clouded by the controversy surrounding the Sandusky sex abuse scandal, and allegations that Paterno violated the legal and moral obligation to report abuse immediately.

Despite recent events, the Paterno family point to Joe's ongoing dedication to the ideals of honor, ethical sport and hard work.


Facebook Post: Long Celebrated, Recently Villanized. Penn State legend Joe Paterno dies of lung cancer.

Three Social Media

Choose three of the Social Media Tools presented on this website to try. Post links to your attempts. Share your thoughts about which new social media tools will reach audiences most effectively. Explain your rationale.

RSS FEED:

What is it? The RSS Feed is a simple tool that allows the user to aggregate all of their subscriptions to websites, podcasts and blogs of interest so that they don't have to go to each and every site to stay abreast of new posts and activity.  "RSS"  stands for “Real Simple Syndication.” RSS feeds can be organized by topic, areas of interest, or any other heading and users are notified via email of any new content.
You can also use RSS feeds to share news and updates from your organization with your readers. Typically, they can sign up for emails that are automatically sent, free of charge, when information and content is updated or added.
How does this increase/improve the reach to audiences? RSS Feeds are a neat little tool that is extremely useful for bloggers and site owners who wish to make it as easy for their subscribers to stay engaged with their site. By providing an easy and more efficient way for followers to access and read new content, they are less likely to miss new posts as a result of being unaware or not wishing to take the time to visit each and every site they subscribe to.
An example of an RSS Aggregator: http://feedly.com

SOCIAL NETWORK SITES:

What are they? Social Network sites are sites which are used for the purpose of communicating and connecting with one's personal community. Examples of such sites are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Contemporary social media sites are multifunctional, and include such capabilities as messaging, photo albums, video, blogging, group aggregation and event creation. Many sites are now connected to other mobil functions, including calendars and email.
Social Networking sites are effective for communication because they speak to an audience that is already acquainted with the author on a personal level. It increases the reach to audiences by way of sharing. A video, post or other content that has been placed on a users page/wall is accessible to other members of that community. As a marketing tool, it is an organic and authentic way of gaining an audience without aggressive marketing tactics. Information is spread virally, through connections of members. Since consumers are more likely to trust the opinion and taste of an insider than that of an advertisement, social media is an incredibly effective way to spread a message or information.

MOBILE:

What is Mobile? Mobile is quickly becoming the most popular medium of communication. It is a portable means of viewing, sending and receiving information from other devices through the use of phones, tablets and other wirelessly connected devices. It provides access to others by communication via text messaging, email, social media, applications, websites, and a vast array of other ways. Mobile is an incredibly effective means of reaching an audience because it is quickly becoming the primary means by which people access information. The research is compelling. According to Forbes, "There is a clear, definitive shift to mobile in general...underlined by a large rise in Facebook's mobile app..."
Harvard Business Review notes: "50 percent of teen smartphone owners, aged 12-17, say they use the internet mostly on their cell phone, according to a 2013 Pew Internet report on Teens and Technology." 

McGrane, K. (May 28, 2013). The Rise of the Mobile-Only User. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/05/the-rise-of-the-mobile-only-us/.

Olsen, Pammy. (Nov 12, 2013) Here's Where Teens Are Going Instead of Facebook. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/11/12/heres-where-teens-are-going-instead-of-facebook/.