Category: Insights
Visualizing tumbling tumbleweeds – and storylines – in ‘The Big Lebowski’
In 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen’s cult classic The Big Lebowski inspired a community of fandom that remains fanatical even today, twenty years since its debut. A few years ago, […]
Talking to Tracy McGrady: How digital tools and a sharp eye helped me set up an interview with my childhood hero
They never said don’t call your heroes. If you’re writing an article about entertainment, athletics or even politics, your professors have probably told you, “In a perfect world, you’d talk […]
How one Pennsylvania station hopes to reinvent local TV news by embedding reporters in communities
Last month, a television station in Pennsylvania launched “Reporter Corps” – an ambitious initiative aimed at reinventing local TV news. PBS39/WLVT, which is based in Bethlehem, Pa., plans to hire […]
Using maps, kayaks and notebooks to understand the biodiversity and resilience of Boston’s coastline
On the campaign trail, presidential candidate Donald Trump talked a lot about revitalizing America’s crumbling infrastructure. Other issues, however, have since crowded out the monumental task of addressing this aging […]
Why the Massachusetts Daily Collegian is translating stories into other languages
Not even into her junior year the University of Massachusetts, Rebecca Duke Wiesenberg has already held a variety of positions at the student-run paper, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. She’s been an op-ed […]
The importance of learning opinion writing today
In today’s tumultuous news cycle, what journalists have to say is crucial to readers. But often what’s expected from reporters goes beyond just the facts. Reporters are increasingly rewarded for […]
How the Center for Public Integrity is using surveys to report on tick-borne illness and climate change
With the northeastern United States on the brink of summer, bug spray will soon be flying off the shelves as hikers, bikers and others prepare for adventures outdoors. But, inevitably, […]
How shows like “Trump, Inc.” are making investigative podcasts great again
Andrea Bernstein recalls the brainstorming session that took place between ProPublica and WNYC, where she works as a senior editor for politics and policy, to try and decide how the two […]
Old dogs and new tricks: Tom Rosenstiel on reinventing local TV news
As “We Interrupt This Newscast,” one of the largest research projects about local television news, was on the eve of landing on bookshelves nearly a decade ago, Tom Rosenstiel, one […]
Will educators warm up to the learning possibilities of games like Assassin’s Creed?
Without a time machine, the world of ancient Egypt that most people know is a half-finished puzzle pieced together by egyptologists. Until now. The sun-dappled streets of Alexandria, ancient temples […]
China’s intranet fends off censored words through the Great Firewall
You know the internet as a seemingly infinite online environment ruled by openness and free expression. But in China, the internet is more like an intranet. What is an intranet? An […]
How Sosolimited uses data to create experiences that are physical and sensory
Making data physical, visceral, and emotional is the primary goal for Sosolimited, a Boston-based design studio. “The incorporation of live data, especially user-created data, makes the space engaging in a […]
SXSW: Is the future of our cities a branded utopia or commercial dystopia?
By 2050, it is expected that two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. By then, the “smart city” market is meant to triple, meaning that more and more […]
SXSW: Key takeaways on data journalism from the “news nerds” panel
Nearly every news story you read today involves numbers. Many news outlets, like The Washington Post and The New York Times, have found effective ways of presenting stories with data-heavy […]
SXSW: Virtual reality pioneer Nonny de la Peña on immersive storytelling
Often referred to as the ‘Godmother of Virtual Reality,’ investigative journalist Nonny de la Peña has paved the way for a new era of immersive storytelling though virtual reality. In […]
How nwzer wants to rebuild journalism using AI and citizen reporters
“Artificial intelligence powered citizen journalism. Building news together.” That’s how Netherlands-based nwzer – which founder Karim Maassen calls “the Uber of journalism” – bills itself. nwzer aims to put the power of news production into the hands of […]
SXSW: TV writers on the ingredients of successful storytelling
It’s the best job in the world, the panelists agreed. Though distinct in their assorted identities and backgrounds, the three speakers at “Inside the Modern Day Writer’s Room,” held Tuesday […]
SXSW: The danger in designing frictionless experiences like Uber, Hulu and Blue Apron
How many apps do you have on your phone specifically designed to make your life easier? Instead of waiting for the bus that may or may not come, ride-sharing services […]
NICAR: Data stories from last year that you could be doing in your newsroom
The NICAR conference is all about seeing and learning from the best of data journalism. And what better way of understanding success than taking a look at the past. The […]
SXSW: For women in journalism the future is not bleak. But there’s a lot to work on.
At a SXSW session on journalism last Saturday, panelists Sophia Jones, Jasmine Garsd Garcia, Tara Todras-Whitehill and Daniella Zalcman wanted the room to know, first and foremost, that their outlook […]
SXSW: Bernie Sanders thinks the average American is “disgusted with the current political process”
In a sit-down interview with CNN reporter Jake Tapper, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont spoke about economic and social issues at the forefront of national politics including immigration reform, gun […]
Ten principles for photojournalists
It’s bound to happen. Sometime in your career as a budding photojournalist you will encounter the challenge and privilege of building a relationship with another human being in order to […]
Understanding how new copyright law will affect social media embeds for news publishers
Picture this: A photo of two major athletes goes viral, weaving across social platforms, and pops up via embed on popular news sites. For most, this doesn’t seem noteworthy – […]
Despite the growing educational uses for virtual reality, research into its potential problems is lacking
From experiencing swimming underwater with a Blue Whale, to feeling what it is like to live in solitary confinement or reliving the horrors of 9/11, virtual reality is changing the […]
Figuring out local TV’s future with the help of the industry
It’s no secret the media landscape is evolving. Social media dominates. People’s faces are glued to their smartphones. But their thirst for news and information hasn’t disappeared. If anything, it’s […]
How The Pudding discovered swing states will suffer most from job automation
Will robots take your job one day? Probably. But how should that affect your choices in the voting booth? Ilia Blinderman, a data journalist at The Pudding, recently published an […]
What can data visualization learn from feminism?
It’s about time to infuse feminism into data science and visualization. At least, that’s what Emerson data visualization and civic tech professor Catherine D’Ignazio says based on her research into […]
Local TV news is important. Seriously.
Hello again from Northeastern University’s Reinventing Local TV News Project. We’re entering an exciting phase as we begin experimenting with new methods for video news storytelling and searching for better […]
How I designed a journalism course around email newsletters
Can cannabis help address the opioids crisis? What is Northeastern University’s relationship with the environment? What about the university’s role in gentrification? And what is the future of digital storytelling? […]
The website as archive: why NowThis publishes all of its content straight to social media
NowThis is a digital video news network that garners upwards of two billion views every month, according to Christian Tom, the company’s publisher and vice president of sales. And until […]