Show & Steal: How to use numbers, graphics, audio to make stories more accessible
Newsday editors Robert Shields and Shawna VanNess hosted an SFJ training session on alternative storytelling formats.
At a special Show & Steal session on May 7, 2024, the Society for Features Journalism tried something new: a hyper-efficient, 15-minute virtual training session to help features journalists in their jobs that very same workday.
Newsday Associate Managing Editors Robert Shields and Shawna VanNess led the training and shared visual storytelling ideas that go beyond traditional photo assignments. The goal: to make stories more accessible for readers, especially if they’re reading on mobile devices.
Shields and VanNess described the session as “a concise look at simple alternative storytelling formats that are accessible for journalists of all skill sets, covering any beat, that can be adapted immediately in any newsroom.” They discussed templates, tools and strategies for incorporating videos, animations, data visualizations, big text treatments, audio clips, timelines and more.
To benefit from this training yourself, check out this recording of the session.
Also, here's a link to the slides from the presentation, generously shared with SFJ members by Newsday.
And here's a pro tip from the session: Play around with the free version of Flourish to add valuable bells and whistles to your stories.
Interestingly, all Newsday journalists take a six-week training course to help them approach stories with a cross-platform vision from the start. Shields has more than 30 years in the news business to contribute to that training. VanNess focuses on metrics and content strategy for Newsday while overseeing lifestyle and entertainment coverage. She also regularly helps SFJ with events and educational sessions as an active member of our programming committee.
Huge thanks to these two busy journalists for sharing their time and knowledge to help their colleagues!
Laura T. Coffey is president of the Society for Features Journalism and a longtime editor and feature writer. She’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts.” Connect with Laura here.