Understanding the ‘why’ in online package planning Web

Is this package spontaneous or planned in advance? Knowing about an event in advance allows reporters and editors to plan coverage based upon expected stories. Being able to plan ahead means reporters, photographers and designers know, at least generally, what they might expect, which helps them to predict possible angles and reporting opportunities. Sometimes, though, breaking news happens and newsrooms have to do the best they can in the time they have. In those cases, tools like Storify or ScribbleLive can be a quick, easy way to cover a story.

Which is more important, speed or depth? For time-sensitive stories, being able to give your readers information quickly and clearly is likely more important than designing an “experience” for readers. Instead, online packages focused on speed generally publish information in short bursts and smaller posts and stories may be packaged together in one central location. Stories focused on depth, though, allow more time for design and preparation of the experience. In some cases, newsrooms plan story packages long in advance of an anticipated release date.

Is the focus of the package information or experience? Online stories that are focused on delivering information often lean toward certain storytelling modes — stories, infographics, data visualizations like charts and graphs, lists, timelines and maps. If the focus is more on experience, editors may decide to use tools that immerse the reader/viewer into the story. These might include audio or video, photo galleries, using Web design to emphasize narrative parts of the story, or other tools that bring the reader into the story.

Is this a visual story? Visual stories can sometimes lend themselves to greater use of photography and video, whether as standalone components or as supplemental materials. If the story doesn’t have much of a visual component — say, a budget story or coverage of a city council meeting — those may not be your best option.

Is there a single angle/narrative or are there multiple angles? This question drives the way you might present an online story package. The three basic models are: Story-plus: The journalist produces on basic story and all other materials are supplemental to that story. The add-ons serve as illustrative examples but are not stories in and of themselves. Guided narrative: The story is designed to lead the reader from one point to the next. As the reader finishes one part s/he is prompted to “continue” to the next part, and the order in which the parts are presented is planned and designed by the journalists or editors. Menu of stories: Several stories are packaged together and the reader chooses where to go from a menu that shows him/her all of the options. This works best when each part can stand alone, and the reader does not need to have information from one story before understanding another part.

Will the story require field reporting, or is it more interview-based? If there is an opportunity for the reporter to head out into the field to see or experience something first-hand, it’s likely that the reporter can also collect photos, audio or video that would enhance the online package. This may lead to a video component, integrated sound clips, or photo slideshows. However, if the story is primarily based on interviews, the reporter may take a different approach. There may be the opportunity to enhance the story with embedded documents, clips from the interviews, or data related to the story, but it’s less likely that a compelling video story (at least, a standalone story) will be possible. The exception to this would be to include short video clips from emotional parts of the interview.

Are any of the following particularly relevant: sound, time/chronology, sequence, data, geographic location? If the answer to any of the following is ‘yes,’ you should consider: SOUND: audio clips, audioslideshow TIME: interactive timeline SEQUENCE: step-by-step, slideshow DATA: data visualization tool, chart/graph maker, infographic creator GEOGRAPHY: interactive map

How many people will it take to create this package? This is an important question to consider once you have planned out the design for your package. If you have three reporters working on the package, you will need to ensure that they each have a checklist of what to collect and who to talk to. Obviously, the more people you have working on a package, the more that you can do. Yet, even if it’s just one reporter, there are still several ways to integrate multimedia and design a complete package.