The web team of the
San Diego Union-Tribune knows the definition of multimedia reporting -- and has invested enough to do it well. Here's an example from yesterday, as relayed by SignOnSanDiego news editor
Jeff Rose. When murder defendant
Richard Tuite escaped from the county courthouse on the first day of his trial, the website's news staff used all of these elements in a
single news story:
- Camera phone images taken by the web staff. ("We have begun using the phones for breaking-news coverage," Rose reports. "While the images are not great quality, they certainly are serviceable -- much better than nothing.")
- A screen capture from a TV news helicopter (thanks to an agreement with the contractor who provides video to local TV stations).
- Video produced by the SignOn staff.
- At the end of the day, a photo from the newspaper staff.
And here's a fascinating tidbit from the website's day of coverage. Says Rose, "At one point, SignOn reporter/video journalist
Greg Magnus interviewed a witness about Tuite's recapture, then sent a camera-phone image of her. When he called in to let me know he'd sent the image and to relay some quotes, I had a few questions. He just handed the phone to the witness and I interviewed her, getting additional quotes. ... It's a new world."
