NYT Micro-documentary is Simple and Powerful

A concept I just discovered is the "Op-doc."
This idea combines the visual power of micro-documentaries and uses it to express and opinion.

Welcome to the new age of the "Op-Ed" page.

Photo by Jose Paulo Carvalho Pereira

 The New York Time's "11 Excellent Reasons Not to Vote?" caught my eye. The title itself is enough to make you want to watch with all the usual bombardment of pro-voting advertisements. A video on not voting? What is this? The concept, over seven minutes of talking to young Americans of why they vote or do not vote, was brilliant. It was an interestingly sarcastic and backhanded approach to counter the arguments of apathetic non-voters. The video was also very simple. It was just a compilation of high-quality interview shots with people. No b-roll necessary, just new angles and words. I also found it engaging to hear the interviewers comments from behind the camera. A new approach is refreshing and entertaining.

 Check out the video and Op-doc section here: http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/10/30/opinion/100000001874355/11-excellent-reasons-not-to-vote.html

LGBTQ Resource Center Hosts Election Watch Party

[Nov. 6, 2012. Columbia, Mo.] Patriotic decorations, provided by the Triangle Coalition, hang in the MU LGBTQ Center in celebration of election day. The watch party began at 8 a.m. with free bagels and cream cheese.

Red, white and blue paper decorations hang from the doorway of the MU LGBTQ Resource Center.
A sign by the entrance reads, "It's fun to support LGBTQ rights."

From its 8 a.m. opening on Nov. 6, the resource center is hosting an election watch party focused on encouraging the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community to vote.
Sophomore Theodore Tushaus arrived at the center at about 9:30 a.m. to join a small five person gathering to to start watching election coverage.

He had just finished voting in his first presidential election.

"I will be here from 9:30 a.m. till midnight, or until [a presidential winner] is called," Tu
shaus said. "I am very invested in this election."

The MU LGBTQ Resource Center is a "safe-space" in the MU Student Center that works to increase acceptance of LGBTQ students, staff and faculty on campus. The center can not endorse political candidates.

Breakfast bagels were provided by the center for early morning watchers. Free pizza will be provided at 6 p.m.

-Laura Herrera, 2150 Multimedia Journalism

[Nov. 6, 2012. Columbia, Mo.] Sophomore, and first-time presidential voter, Theodore Tushaus grabs a bagel as he settles in the MU LGBTQ Resource Center for a day-long watch party. The election watch party was sponsored by the resource center as well as the Women's Center and the Triangle Coalition.

 

In the Storm, Multimedia Still Shines

As a Floridian, I am use to storms.

As twisted as it sounds, tropical storms and hurricanes carry nostalgia for my childhood with them. At 6-months-old, I slept through Hurricane Andrew. I went through the 2005 storm season without any shutters on my house. Hurricane Wilma left me without power and school for two weeks. This past summer I got to wade in Tropical Storm Debby's flood water for three days for the Tampa Bay Times. It was brilliant.

This is not anything new or frightening for me. I have also always seen the power of journalism in a time of need. The Miami Herald won an award for community service with their Hurricane Andrew coverage. I remember seeing their print editions even during storms and listening/watching local broadcast coverage during storms on battery powered TVs.

But I was interested to see how The New York Times would hold up. While they are one of the most prestigious publications in the world, they are not accustomed to hurricanes. Storms are a beast of their own. Even with this, I was pleased to see the continuation of powerful multimedia in storm coverage, predominately through photo slideshows.

This piece on power outages in public housing captured my attention as a new angle than most outlets looking at damage along the New Jersey shoreline:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/11/02/nyregion/02Projects-ss-2.html

Graphics and interactive features on the storm may also be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/multimedia/index.html