5 "Rules" for Journalists Using Storify
Storify is a great tool that provides journalists with a new (fun!) way to tell stories. I teach in the SF State journalism department and we're encouraging our students to experiment with this new tool. I only have a few rules for them when it comes to using Storify...
- Social media curation is what Storify's all about. It's a hot topic right now, and many news organizations and bloggers are experimenting with this new kind of storytelling involving the curation of content published via social media.So what is content curation? It's the act of searching for content on a specific topic then organizing, publishing and sharing it."It is such a powerful idea because curation does NOT focus on adding more content/noise to the chaotic information overload of social media, and instead focuses on helping any one of us to make sense of this information by bringing together what is most important," writes Rohit Bhargava, SVP of Global Strategy & Marketing at Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence and Adjunct Professor of Global Marketing at Georgetown University on his Influential Marketing Blog.Aggregating, analyzing, providing context and insight is an important part of journalism today. Storify is one of the tools journalsits can use to easily wrangle contributed content and publish stories that involve their communities.Bhargava suggests five (potential) models for content curation:1. Aggregation2. Distillation3. Elevation4. Mashup5. ChronologyTry applying one of these models to your next Storify story.
Influential Marketing Blog: The 5 Models Of Content Curation
Curation has always been an underrated form of creation. The Getty Center in Los Angeles is one of the most frequently visited museums in America - and started as a private art collection from one man (J. Paul Getty) who...- Now, before you jump into your first Storify check out my five "rules."1. Don't just drag, drop and dump!Remember, anyone can curate the social web, as a journalist you need to provide context and/or analysis.
Qatar's World Cup in the cloudsA report of a remote-controlled, solar-powered hovering shade, which could be used to cool soccer stadiums in Qatar, has taken on a life of its own.- 2. Write transition sentences between the media. (See "rule" number one.)
Virtual Choir 2.0 by Eric Whitacre - Music, Art, and Social Media Bringing the World TogetherEric Whitacre's new work, Virtual Choir 2.0, made its debut today, featuring 2,052 singers from 58 countries around the world. Each singer made a YouTube video, singing solo to a webcam, and the individual pieces were assembled into the largest ever Internet choir. It's a fantastic work of music, art and social networking that brings the world a little closer together. Here's what happened:- 2. Verify sources. (Yes, some stories may not require this level of reporting, but many will. You should know the difference.)Confirm Tweets, pics, videos and follow up with an in-person interview (when it makes sense for the story).
- 3. Give the story a beginning, middle and an end.
Giants and Dodgers urge against fan violence.In spite of the recent attack on San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow during the opening game of the season at Dodgers Stadium, players urge fans to keep the rivalry on the field.- 4. Use Storify for realtime event coverage.
Mayor, councilmembers arrested at protestMayor Vincent Gray and five city councilmembers were arrested while protesting front of the Senate Monday afternoon. Publicity stunt or standing up for their city?- 5. Experiment with different kinds of stories.
Outside Lands Line-up Released! How are people reacting now that the fourth annual Outside Lands festival has announced their headliners, and will this be a similar scramble for tickets like the Coachella music festival?- Ask followers a question, Storify their responses!
- Have you used Storify? Share your story with me @girljournalist and tell me your tips/tricks.
