Aidan Meyer ENGL334

  Visual storytelling can take many key formats. This can include images, videos, charts, graphs, and other elements that tell an interpretive story without any direct statements. In Claire O’Neil’s National Public Radio article, she shows that the key to a good visual story is using the right key components and media. She draws examples from decorative visuals to useful storytelling visuals like charts and graphs. She guides the reader to match the format of the visual to the function. The story should guide the reader through the visuals and be useful in the narrative rather than just accessorizing it. In Zambelich and Jan’s National Public Radio Article, they dive deeper into not just mere photography but the importance of a moving portrait, or a portrait that tells a story about the person it depicts. The use of a portrait connects the reader to the person they are trying to tell about and goes far beyond a generic headshot. They build character and show the humility of a per...

  Beyond the photographic visuals of the last blog post, there has to be a combination of those skills, along with others, to plan a successful video shoot. In the National Public Radio article by Bria Granville, she points out the top things she learned while planning a video shoot. She highlights the distinct steps of planning and how she works collaboratively to organize the perfect video. She teaches a few key lessons: defining the project scope, assembling a good team, creating timelines, having check-ins, preparing, and lastly staying calm in the face of any problems. She gave a few specific examples about her product shoots, about how she tests things in advance, assigns roles to teammates, and overall creates an organized workspace where she can trust her talent and create something great.  In my experience with video production in class, it's important to organize with creative vision and logistical vision. Much like the other blog posts, you have to be sure to capt...

  There is a common saying among recent generations that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and in the case of photojournalism, that is completely accurate. Today, photos are a quickly spread image that can tell a whole, honest story without the influence of opinion or interpretation of anybody. In Kainaz Amaria’s National Public Radio article, she gives a great guide to taking a spectacular photo. She claims that there are three central elements to any good photo: content, composition, and light. She shows that the strongest images balance the event or story, technique, and emotion within the frame. They show great examples of symmetry and perspective to craft an argument through an image. Symmetry shows a careful balance in the image with even display throughout the frame. Perspective can come in many forms through comparison or difference to really heighten the perspective of one of the subjects. These strengths in photography allow the audience to interpret and invest in th...

  When looking at articles online, viewers often consider the article with an eye-catching or shocking headline. They look for keywords, phrases, and other factors that could pique their current interests. In the new age of technology, Google search engine optimization has taken away the need for endless searching online to find a compelling article. Google takes analytics and certain keywords and ranks them based on the likelihood to one's search. Holly Morris, in her National Public Radio article, explains that good headlines have to attract both the readers alone and the search engine results. This shows a need for the careful placement of words and phrases in a way that captures the eye while also falling into many searches. She explained that the headlines need to be concise yet conversational and to perhaps play around with detail or humor if appropriate. She explains that in order for Google to pick it up, it needs to be straightforward with plenty of keyword options. This...

  To be a successful journalist, one must prioritize how the reporting happens and how all of the sources are collected and presented. In doing so, the storyteller practices proper reporting and builds trust with a media audience. In George Bodarky’s National Public Radio article, he emphasizes that the best reporting comes from truly being there and immersing oneself in the event or story being covered. He explains that by showing up in the community and being honest in interviews it creates a very clear and truthful narrative, while still keeping boundaries and relationships with the interviewees. By presenting oneself as a credible reporter and carrying on a conversation rather than bold, structured interview questions, it establishes a trust level that can create a fantastic story. In Socolovsky’s National Public Radio article, he dives into a story about a Middle East Reporting assignment. He emphasizes that journalists consistently have to make quick decisions about structu...

  In storytelling projects, it is essential to determine the right formatting and approach through careful research and analysis of impact. In Kelly McBride's National Public Radio article, she argues that great and engaging journalism depends greatly on aligning the story the writer is trying to tell with the correct formatting. This means that you can have a truly spectacular story, and “miss the mark” by putting it in the wrong media format. She brings compelling examples of both good and bad journalism formatting. She pulls out this example of a podcast that complements the format with an article. Meaning, that there is both an audio and visual element to the storytelling that unveils the complexities of the narrative. She then demonstrates how a radio interview was later condensed into a few words in an online article, which resulted in the story losing its depth and dimension. These two examples she gave showed how the format can either be a great asset or a detriment to st...