Debate analyzer

Here’s a new way to cover a candidate debate online. The New York Times created a very cool “transcript analyzer” for the 2007 presidential debates that let users see exactly who said what and when. You can type in a word or phrase and see how many times each candidate said it. [...]

Simple graphics make complex stories clear

Simple graphics sometimes work better than highly-produced interactives when it comes to explaining a complicated process. The Wall Street Journal accompanied a story about kidney transplants with a series of four illustrations that walk users through the problems people often face when looking for a compatible donor. Using stick figures, arrows and very [...]

Crowdsourcing the news

When Wired magazine first used the term crowdsourcing in 2006, it referred to “the productive potential of millions of plugged-in enthusiasts.” It didn’t take long for news organizations to take advantage of that potential to develop and report stories.

The Brian Lehrer show on WNYC, the NPR station in New York, now has regular crowdsourcing [...]

Blogs and data draw readers

News organizations are in a constant battle for online traffic, but what actually works to draw readers? Blogs, live chats and interactive databases, according to industry leaders quoted by Editor&Publisher. Jennifer Carroll, vice president of new media for the Gannett newspaper division, told the annual Associated Press Managing Editors conference that searchable data is particularly [...]