Journalism can be art
Posted: October 31, 2007
A lot of people become journalists because they want to do something different everyday. They want to drive to work not knowing what is going to go on that day. But the truth is journalism can get monotonous and most of the time we’re reporting on day-to-day life. So why not try to spice things up?
One thing I’ve always thought is that journalism needs to become more creative. In the newspaper, the everyday story could be peppered up with a creative lead, interesting quotes, etc. Photographs could convey what they need to convey with the bonus elements. Video could take some techniques from the movies and try something new from time to time.
One newspaper that just gets it is The San Jose Mercury News. I mean, really, these guys get it.
Just take a look at this video, “Friday Night: Custodian.” The visuals, the sound, the characters, they’re all perfect. What is really an uninteresting idea—a story about a woman who has been a custodian in the same place for more than 15 years—kept my attention because of the masterful video and audio techniques implored by the journalists at the the Mercury News. Dai Sugano’s name keeps coming up when I see a good video.
Some newspapers need to stop taking my viewership for granted and take a page out of the Mercury News’ book and start making more interesting, intricate, in-depth video.
Here are a couple more interesting multimedia pieces from the SJ Mercury News and others:
- “Long Snapper,” a look at San Francisco 49’s long snapper Brian Jennings’ pre-snap run down (SJ Mercury News)
- “Spring Glow,” made for spring fashion 2007, awesome, uses stop motion and many other cool techniques (SJ Mercury News)
- “Becoming a zombie,” out-of-the-ordinary good for The Gainesville Sun.
- “The Vault of Terror: Davie family transforms home into haunted house,” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
- Categories:
- Audio, Journalism, Photography, Sports, Video