Group items tagged

"Al Jazeera America's (AJA) Jared Keller and Dominica Lim created an interactive map inviting anyone affected by Hurricane Sandy to tell their stories using text, photo and video. This is one way AJA plans to recognize the devastating storm's first anniversary and offer context as part of its continuing Sandy coverage. This interactive map is smart for two reasons (if not more):"

"Using the first section of the story as a kind of microcosm - and encouraging you all to read that much, at least - I offer the following critiques: 1. Most of the visual elements violate the essential credo of effective storytelling: Not to give away too much too soon. 2. Time and again the visual elements "step on the narrative." 3. There is a "kitchen sink" feel to the visual aspects of the story. 4. The first section of text feels out of tune with the second. 5. Most of all, there is no harmony between what I would call the Voice of the story and its Vision. Let me expand on these, in order:"

"A columnist must be quick and nimble with various platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter (and all those other platforms you've been avoiding) in order to promote a message with power and reach.  What is your genre of column writing? Pick a niche and own it and use social media to raise your presence to a higher level. Although excellent writing will always be the star of the show, on-line competition requires journalists to set themselves apart. "Create value to a column with reporting," Avlon said. Facts, studies, quotes from experts, new angles and research will add to a columnist's reputation as a go-to resource.  Although reporting is vital, capturing the emotion of an issue creates universal resonance.  Avlon said, "Storytelling with compassion cuts across ideologies." To craft a standout blog or column, Avlon offered these elements: A strong point of view Expertise Research A compelling read"

"Amid downed power lines, hissing gas pipes and immense devastation, rescuers searched "board by board" Tuesday for survivors and victims of a massive tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the Oklahoma City suburbs. It was a daunting task. The Monday afternoon storm carved a trail through the area as much as two miles wide and 22 miles long, officials said. Hardest hit was Moore, Oklahoma -- a suburban town of 40,000 and the site of eerily similar twisters in 1999 and again four years later. The state medical examiner's office said 24 people were confirmed dead, including nine children."

"For a week in May, YouTube will turn into the biggest open mic on the planet. On Thursday, the Google Inc.-owned site will announce the YouTube Comedy Week, a seven-day cyber extravaganza designed to showcase some of the best comedy across its expansive video platform. From May 19-25, YouTube will be overrun with punch lines, sketches, stand-up routines and - hopefully - a lot of laughs."

"At least one person was killed Sunday when a string of tornadoes ripped through four states, tearing roofs off homes, downing power lines and tossing trees like matchsticks."

"WASHINGTON - The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news."

"The aquifer's northern reaches still hold enough water in many places to last hundreds of years. But as one heads south, it is increasingly tapped out, drained by ever more intensive farming and, lately, by drought."

"Up to one in five American youngsters - about 7 million to 12 million, by one estimate - experience a mental health disorder each year, according to a new report billed as the first comprehensive look at the mental health status of children in the country. And the rate is increasing, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which produced the study, released last week."

I think that this story is relevant to the local category because it is about one of the local scholarship funds. The article says which students received scholarships this year, and a few are Hunterdon Central students!

"The Storymakers app recognizes excellence in original student nonfiction that pushes the traditional boundaries of narrative. The 17 features appearing in the app represent the Grand Prize Winners and Finalists from the 2013 Digital Storymakers Award, sponsored by Atavist and the Pearson Foundation."