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My experiences in journalism have always centered around the practical. I have worked in public relations, Web design and multimedia, and in each of these arenas it was necessary to achieve a tangible result from what I learned in school. By writing good stories and designing and programming of good visual journalism, I was able to create something very real – the overall story. This immediate application of journalistic skills to stories makes journalism very powerful in my mind. Once in graduate school, I chose to create a thesis project over an academic exploration of journalism because it seemed to fit the pattern of practicality I admire as well as feed my need to create something beyond personal pontification. Hence, through my thesis project, titled On the Edge: A Multimedia Exploration of Squatters in the 21st Century, I strive to successfully tell a story using the journalistic tools I acquired in graduate school. The Power of Multimedia and the Internet I chose to create my project for a multimedia platform because it is still an emerging medium. Multimedia is a communications process that uses computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way. This medium is distinguished from traditional motion pictures both by the scale of the production (multimedia is usually smaller and less expensive) and by the possibility of audience interactivity or involvement. Interactive elements can include voice command, mouse manipulation, text entry, touch screen, video capture of the user, or live participation during live presentations. The major categories of multimedia are entertainment, education, corporate communications, reference materials and training. My project resides somewhere between entertainment and reference. Through On the Edge, I hope to inform people about Fairbanks squatters in an in-depth and interesting manner. I find it exciting to work in multimedia because of its ability to empower and because it has yet to be pigeon-holed. In fact, new multimedia methodologies appear daily, and people continue to explore and define what multimedia truly is. Until the mid-90s multimedia applications were rare due to the expensive hardware required. With increases in performance and decreases in price, however, multimedia is now more commonplace. Added value to the personal computer and hype from the computer industry has led to increased production of multimedia hardware and software. Trade associations, books and magazines on multimedia now exist, and publishing information with multimedia is becoming commonplace.
Susan Myburgh (1998) describes the
Internet as a manifestation of the age of convergence. It is a union among
people and across cultures that I hope On the Edge can create.
I have tried to offer a window into a world most people don't get to investigate
as well as provide a space for my own voice to be heard. While the hierarchy
of business, government and social institutions has traditionally dominated
women and minorities, the Internet is non-linear and non-hierarchical
in nature. It is often represented through the model of a web (hence the
name World Wide Web), where it is more circular in nature. The Internet
depends on every ring to grow. There is no top or bottom to serve or reign
over. Through this medium, people who were formerly voiceless can expand
their abilities and powers dramatically (Myburgh, 1998). I specifically advocate creation of
Web sites as a method of providing information about culture, news and
entertainment that people wouldn't otherwise get. Alternatives to the
mainstays of media can partially change the common worldview currently
put forth. Providing a voice where there once was none will “influence
attitudes toward diversity either by reinscribing the view that differences
are divisive or by affirming them a source of individual and collective
enrichment, regeneration, and growth” (Wood, p. 408). Beyond the empowerment issues, I chose to publish my project online because of the sheer number of people one can reach through this medium. Rather than send out a disc filled with information, I can simply offer up a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and anyone with a Web browser and a working modem line can view my project. A 1998 study examined the relationship
audiences have with the World Wide Web from a business perspective and
applied the uses and gratifications mass communication theory to approach
this medium. The authors suggest that more effective website planning
and design is the key to a successful site. Web sites must: (1) demonstrate
an intersection of information and entertainment, (2) assist visitors
with organizational ideas that point to the strategic purpose of the site,
and (3) assist visitors with efficiently executed design features (Eighmey
& McCord, 1998). “In an overall sense, information becomes a
relationship on the WWW” (Eighmey, p. 193). It is this relationship
I hope to engender through On the Edge. Still, it can be argued that publishing
online does not fully meet today's communication expectations. Many lack
access to and/or are uncomfortable with various forms of multimedia. Some
people will never have the opportunity to use the Internet let alone harness
the basic understanding of hardware and software. Programs to help change
access problems are already underway in the United States. The Clinton
administration made some inroads by funding computer labs and dedicated
telephone lines for libraries and schools that would otherwise be unable
to afford them. Non-governmental organizations are also endeavoring to
provide access to the impoverished. Becoming involved, advocating effectively
and working collectively in the struggle of others can also help overcome
the problems involved with access. Laura Agustin (1999) envisions postmodern
scribes, where people will take Internet access to those in need. “Women
and other marginalized groups must use and design them for their own empowerment
or they will be further left out and behind” (Inayatullah & Milojevic,
1999, p. 84). Seeking out ways to help others or to provide a computer
and some instruction to those in need can help minimize the problems surrounding
access. A 1998 study researched the use of home computers surrounding media consumption and found that computers are not seen as the best medium to fill needs, but that they are useful in some manner. “Computers were not mentioned very often by our respondents to fill various communication needs” (Perse, p. 439). Computers were used most commonly to pass time or keep busy. Respondents who were computer owners were found to displace television viewing with computer use, and they were found to be more print-media oriented than non-owners. Multimedia capabilities were found to have little impact on home computer users’ perceptions about and uses of the media. “Although we found little evidence of displacement effects on patterns of traditional media use, we found notable relationships between home computer connectivity and how useful computers are perceived to be to fill several different communication needs” (Perse, p. 451). This study does not address the changes our society has gone through since the introduction of the Internet. I believe we are becoming more comfortable receiving and digesting our news and entertainment online as we become more savvy users of computers. While I risk losing some readers by publishing On the Edge online, I believe I can reach the widest, most diverse audience through this avenue. Also, this methodology allowed me to use multimedia storytelling techniques not available in traditional media. Storytelling
with multimedia offers authors the opportunity to show character and plot
with the added value of images, audio, video as well as visual journalism.
I approached On the Edge hoping to take full advantage of these
additional descriptive avenues. Steven Johnson,
author of Interface Culture (1997), suggests that multimedia is
"a new cultural form hovering somewhere between medium and message,
a metaform that lives in the nether land between information producer
and consumer" (p. 38). Creating a story in this new metaform proved
challenging in many ways. Not only did I need to decide how much information
to offer up, but also I had to limit myself in order to get the project
finished. Authors have
yet to take advantage of all the Web’s options because it’s
still a relatively new medium. Basic technical issues about programming
are becoming less of a concern as new software is invented that allows
users to program in HTML with relatively little knowledge about the language.
Still, a lack of understanding about the Web’s potential and the
fear of jumping into uncharted territory cause apprehension in most authors.
Already trained to formulate stories with linear structures, most writers
have yet to begin thinking about how stories can be told otherwise. Johnson
suggests that nonlinear structures may empower readers at the author’s
expense, and not knowing for sure how readers will assimilate works of
writing can be scary. Anxiety about getting readers lost in a narrative
maze may be keeping writers from investigating this new form of writing.
It takes effort
to create something in a nontraditional form. The accepted guidelines
are no longer there. Even with my own stories intended for Web dissemination,
I find myself writing with a linear structure. It will take time before
journalism that incorporates multimedia becomes intrinsic to writers and
practice once it has. In order to create stories with nonlinear structures,
authors must initiate a new way of thinking about writing and about how
these stories will be digested. On the Edge is distinctly linear
when it comes to the individual story; however, the overall package allows
users to experience each story in whatever order they choose. I didn't
want to overwhelm users with so many options that they got lost in cyberland,
but I still wanted them to exercise their personal choice when viewing
the project. Andrew Shapiro, author of The Control Revolution (1999),
suggests that "sometimes a degree of freedom from choice can be as
liberating as choice itself" (p. 192). Readers are
generally willing to accept the way in which authors structure stories
and, thereby, they also stymie the use of nonlinear Web stories. Making
choices about what to read next or getting to create one’s own story
line may currently feel like work best left to the author. Because users
are already at ease with reading in a linear fashion from use of traditional
mediums (books, magazines, newspapers), they may also be uncomfortable
with the perceived interruptions of nonlinear writing. Re-creating a reading
experience may be difficult if users follow different paths to destined
information. Then again, the immersive nature of multimedia may make up
for that. Johnson, an advocate of nonlinear narratives, acknowledges the
lonely nature of this type of reading. If nonlinear structures create
different story lines for each reader and meaning comes from the ability
to discuss story lines with others, shared understandings can disappear.
It is apparent to me that new, different meaning will come from this type
of writing once we become familiar with nonlinear structures. While they
may seem cumbersome and unwieldy now, I expect us to find them illuminating
and expressive soon. We may even begin to crave them over traditional
forms of writing. Part of the
wondrous nature of the Internet is its ability to disseminate information.
Providing electronic versions of works already written has become a mainstay
of today’s Web. Most news sites online regurgitate what they already
have in their printed version. To reinvent each of these stories for a
nonlinear, online format would be time-consuming and is probably unnecessary.
It is easier to display Web articles with linear structures because writing
for traditional media is generally linear. From those few sites that I've
seen take advantage of writing with a nonlinear structure (Slate, Suck,
JournalE), it is arguable that these can only strengthen traditional journalistic
narratives. Some of these sites tell more of the story by showing alternative
viewpoints, related material and reader feedback. Linear structures
have become innate to many writers and thereby most authors have chosen
not to reinvent what they consider a perfectly good wheel. But maybe we
won’t be reinventing the wheel with the use of multimedia. Maybe
we no longer need the wheel. Many cyberphilosophers believe that multimedia
will provide a metaphoric hovercraft for information seekers where we
can simply skip across information. Links are becoming
the new syntactical device in online writing. They go beyond what was
imagined by Vannevar Bush back in 1945. Bush believed documents would
eventually have what he called trails, and that these would provide information
about correlating knowledge related to that particular article. While
it’s astounding to think that someone conceived this more than 50
years ago, links go beyond trails. Johnson describes them as more like
an adjective or adverb, providing new meaning to what would otherwise
be a rather bland noun or verb. These simple devices are revolutionizing
writing as we know it today. Links are inherently about wanting to know
more – about digging deeper– not about surfing across information
at all. The opportunity to acquire more information will create a more
knowledgeable reader if they choose to do the digging provided in nontraditional
narratives. And, I believe that this is one of the goals of journalism.
You've done your job if you've helped illuminate readers toward a new
understanding about the worlds we live in. It shouldn't matter how the
reader comes to this understanding. Certainly the
inclusion of other media forms can provide a more representative picture
on particular subjects, but may also require more cognitive skills than
reading text alone. “People process graphics and text differently,
but graphics seem to process more easily, so perhaps comprehension is
improved rather than impeded” (Grice & Ridgway, p. 37). I have
intentionally included a variety of media in On the Edge to increase
understanding among its viewers. Shapiro suggests
that the Internet itself is already remodeling how and what we read. "With
all the Net offers, it will be easy to assume that a small degree of increased
control is the equivalent of true self-determination" (p.183). Mass
communication theories about gate-keeping and agenda setting no longer
hold water because of the Internet’s invention. Anyone with access
to a computer and modem now has the power to publish. The gates on information
have been thrown open, and while readers and writers alike may be bewildered
by the lack of fences, it is a freedom now given to us. This lack of constraint
will not hinder traditional journalistic narratives. These will always
exist in their current form, both online and off. This freedom will only
serve to make traditional media better and nontraditional ones more complete.
Empowering readers to follow their own narratives will certainly help
create a more educated public. They must no longer accept what is spoon-fed
to them and must begin to use critical thinking to process information.
Perhaps this goes beyond what some authors want and some authors and readers
may prefer the static form of traditional media. However, I don’t
believe the true nature of writing is to manipulate the reader. It is
to enlighten and entertain. Other drawbacks
of multimedia are that you can’t read it in a bathtub, while taking
off on an airplane or without a source of electricity. Many people in
the world lack of access and are unable to even begin understanding this
new world of stories. Multimedia will never be able to surpass the many
uses of a book that go beyond reading. The argument that you can’t
line your birdcage with a Web site is accurate and perhaps it's a true
shortcoming of the medium. But limitations will change as technology does.
Nicholas Negropronte, author of Being Digital, imagines an increase in
world access, smaller screen displays, longer battery lives and the soon-to-be
ubiquitous use of hand-held devices. These types of inventions will likely
make computer use more and more omnipresent and user-friendly. Again,
I recognize that On the Edge will not be viewed by many people
simply because it is published online. I have a remarkable
friend who my husband and I used to call “the walking footnote.”
Kim would begin to tell us a story and inevitably branch off into long
side narratives that didn’t really advance her original plot line.
Eventually she’d get back to the main point of her story, but the
footnotes always provided us with a deeper understanding of her experience.
We always hung out with her longer than we anticipated and always came
away knowing more than we ever expected. This is how I imagine nonlinear,
multimedia stories to work on the Web. Once they become more familiar
with the nonlinear narrative, users will spend more time experiencing
that environment and will discover a near infinite breadth of knowledge
housed therein. Our traditional narratives can only be enhanced by multimedia through the inclusion of correlating documents, feedback mechanisms and "digging spots." On the Edge strives to give users some choice in what they view, but not too much. Because of the unusual nature of the project, there simply weren't many alternative viewpoints to link to. Readers will always have the option of choosing traditional, linear narratives, but I believe that the narratives that provide the most descriptive information serve the public best. Narrative Choices: First-person and structureThe question of whether to use first
or third person when weaving a narrative is central to effective storytelling.
Philip Gerard, author of Creative Nonfiction (1996) and many other
books, claims that the first thing to consider after deciding upon your
story's form (long/short) is point of view. This decision is a weighty
one, as it will affect a story's bigger picture: the scope of the story,
the role the narrator will take in the story, and how naïve or well
informed the narrator is. The pronoun "I" can be disadvantageous
in several ways. For the narrator, its use inevitably puts the author’s
emotions on the line. If the story doesn’t work in some way, it may
reflect poorly on the writer as a person. One must be prepared for an
intimate relationship with readers when using first person and all that
can be positive or negative about that association. There is also the
risk of universalizing oneself to the whole of society. As Tracy Kidder
put it in the introduction of a book anthology of annual best American
essays, authors using the first person may unknowingly put forth lies
that they tell themselves to be able to sleep at night. Other authors
recommend that writers be wary of the use of "I" because it
is often overused as an easy way out. In effect, authors might not do
the hard reporting necessary for a good story when they can simply say
what’s already on their mind. Many writers have discussed the use
of "I" as a way of admitting to readers that there may be flaws
in their observations rather than trying to hide under the false pretense
of objectivity associated with the third person. Gerard also suggests
that authors automatically instigate a measure of authority over the subject
matter when using the first-person point of view. By the same token, a
reader can brush a first-person piece off as merely one person’s
opinion and then move on untouched by the story. Still, first-person narratives
somehow trick readers into relating to the story more personally. Every
time "I" is read, they subconsciously replace that person with
themselves. For my project I found this question
to be one of the trickiest decisions to make. Out of the three stories
I wrote about squatters, two of them reflected the use of first person.
Gerard suggests that a typical structure for profiles is one that focuses
on a changing event in the subject's life. The piece in which I chose
to use a third-person point of view reflected this organization. I also
believe it to be the least substantial of the three stories I've written.
It was harder for me to put my feelings into the story somehow because
"I" wasn't there to say it. This is not to say it can't be done,
only that it was harder for me. On the contrary, some of the greatest
literary journalism I have read is in the third person. However, in the
subsequent pieces I wrote for my project, I chose to use the more revealing
route of first person because it allowed me to declare my personal insights.
I hoped these would offer readers a view they could relate to. Tom Wolfe is known as one of the fathers
of what he called New Journalism. This method of writing clearly broke
many of journalism's self-regulated rules at the time and often incorporated
the first-person point of view. In his book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid
Test not only did Wolfe make himself a character in the story, but
also he became a central one at that – somewhat atypical for truthful
reporting of events. Wolfe is also famous for creating internal states
of other characters, a method often criticized as stepping onto the slippery
slope toward fiction. Still, my experience with Wolfe's works filled me
with a thicker description of life in his stories. When working on my
project I couldn't resist the temptation to try and create the internal
workings of one of my characters. After some deliberation, however, I
chose the phrase "One can imagine Jethro thinking…" rather
than saying the character really thought that. Wolfe defends his methods
by asserting that he never creates an internal state without thoroughly
investing himself in the character, both in time and understanding. I
would like to work with internal states more in the future but fear the
slide down that slope. It is important for me to be true to truth (nonfiction)
first, and On the Edge reflects this. Gerard proposes that all structures
have some relation to time: the chronology of the events as they occur
in the story; the historical chronology of events as they took place sequentially;
the time it takes a reader to experience the piece; and, the past time
in which readers bring their prior awareness into the work. How one chooses
to chronicle events inevitably defines the structure of a written piece.
In an e-shaped structure, the writer begins the story not quite at its
chronological end and then circles back through time until concluding
the story at a point just past where the story's beginning began (at the
true ending chronologically). For my project, I tried to emulate this
structure in the piece on Kyle and Becca. I started
the story in what seemed like current time, told their history up until
that current time and then reflected on what I learned several days later
at the end of the story. Following a pre-ordained structure somehow allowed
me more freedom in my storytelling, and I feel that this piece is the
best written of the bunch. Beginnings and endings are among the
most important when structuring creative nonfiction. The beginning should
pull a reader in immediately, and an ending should resonate to some higher
truth. In the introductory piece on Alaska I tried to draw in readers
by starting with the broadest view and then leading to the more specific.
This technique works much like a movie camera would, swooping down into
a scene from afar until it finally focuses on the main subject. Throughout
On the Edge, I have also tried to illuminate a broader reality.
Even though most readers will bring a strong contrast of personal experience,
I still want them to go beyond a general understanding of these subjects.
I have tried to point out the distinctly human qualities in each of the
squatters that we all can relate to. Gerard discusses complete resolution
of stories as rarely possible, and I found this to be true for On the
Edge, as well. "Usually a true story can be resolved only approximately,
loose ends still dangling." (p. 124). Working with scenes when shaping a
story can lead to more successful storytelling. Susan Orlean's use of
scene-building in The Orchid Thief carried the reader through her
book with momentum and style. Each chapter could have been a piece unto
itself, and her cultivated description brought the characters and setting
to life. She illustrated the complexity of the main character as both
a moral and corrupted man by showing us his motivations, his interactions
with others and by capturing his quirks in dialogue. Because she dealt
with a particularly eccentric character, I took note for my own work about
how nonjudgmental she was in describing him. In effect, she let the character
come to life on his own by showing his actions. Orlean was also particularly
good at putting the reader in the setting. She described Florida as a
wild and manipulated land through details of long forgotten subdivisions
that no one moved to and through the insect infested swamps she had to
wade in. Similarly, when trying to place my readers at the squatters'
cabins, I took special effort to capture the details of the place. I tried
to pay attention to more than just what I saw, but what I heard (the train
whistle, the spitting of water on a hot stove) and what I smelled (the
whiff of wood smoke). Ultimately, how writers choose to structure a story relies on the information they've gathered. It should be an organic creation chosen on a piece-by-piece basis. Readers may not notice the story's structure, and that's when Gerard suggests it's working at its best. I hope that the structures employed throughout On the Edge add to its strength as a good package. Specific Methodologies for Gathering Content Collecting information is the most
important aspect of any journalism. The stories ultimately given to an
audience are the real content of any multimedia, and I focused on my project
with content foremost in mind. I spent the majority of my time getting
the story. For each squatter story, I conducted
personal interviews with a digital recorder and microphone. Once this
content was gathered, I transcribed the interviews into digital text.
I believe this allowed me to get a bird's eye view of the overall story
as well as rediscover the most valuable quotes. Audio files can be used
in a variety of ways for multimedia. I included music in my introduction.
It's a simple soundtrack intended to prepare viewers for the stories to
come and bolster the ambience of this information. Many designers choose
to include sound effects in order to cue users to do something (ie. click
here) or to mimic real-world sounds. I provided visual cues, such as rollover
images, rather than sound effects. I recognize that audio has the potential
to become a bleeping, repetitious mess that can frustrate your audience,
leading to immediate use of the Back button. I didn't want to use audio
files just because I could. I focused all of On the Edge's sound
around voice. I hope that the dialog and voice-over narration will provide
viewers with a better perspective on the story's subject matter. Audio
raises the overall quality of any multimedia: It looks better by making
it sound better. I set up a collaboration with a photographer, John Gaedeke, for each of my stories. Unfortunately, I was only able to use him for the Kyle and Becca piece. If I had my druthers, all the photography would have been taken by Gaedeke. I believe this would make On the Edge more cohesive in overall look. Because I was researching people who are currently breaking the law and were concerned about getting caught, I deferred to the subjects' preference. The photos add depth to the project, giving users a tangible view on the subjects' lives. Dom I discovered the mechanical errors
when trying to upload my collected audio to the computer. The cord I had
used was mono, rather than stereo. In the end, this was less of a problem
than I initially thought as I sampled-down all of my audio pieces to decrease
their download size. Since March 2001 I have not seen Dom and assume that he has moved on. The lifestyle Dom chooses has allowed him to pick up and leave with nary a trace. Kyle and Becca Jethro
Designing and Programming Visual Journalism After the content was gathered, the
stories written, video, audio and images converted, I began organizing
the information for Web publication. I based my design in simplicity and
provided both a text- and graphics-based navigation. My design was influenced
by online 'zines such as Journal
E and Columbia
University's graduate new media showcase. Like these fine sites, I
resisted the temptation to overload users with too much information. Text-based navigation provides viewers
with text-based links and does not include many graphical elements. I
put this option at the bottom of each Web page, so users who explore the
Web with their browser images turned off would still be able to navigate
On the Edge. This type of navigation avoids pages that require lengthy
scrolling, as these can overwhelm and frustrate the user. I tried to create
manageable information segments by breaking down information into digestible
chunks. Without the use of graphics, this type of navigation is harder
to make look good visually. Pages can be very boring without any graphical
elements; thereby, I chose to create a simple, graphical navigation at
entry of each Web page. Graphics-based navigation provides viewers with
a graphics-based interface for linking around a site. I tried to design
these graphics with minimize download time in mind. I wanted make sure
the icons I chose were understandable. Aside from the green bars indicating
the beginning and end of each page, the graphics represented text. I also
used the ALT attribute with all graphics. This allows viewers with text-based
browsers to still be able to get around the site. They will see the ALT
tag text rather than the graphic itself. I also included ALT tags on all
the images. Too many graphics can confuse the end-user and always increases
download time. Still, graphics allow for the full integration of visual
journalism, which I wanted to employ because this type of navigation is
generally more pleasing to view. Content, not design, should be the
most noticeable element of a Web page. Great visual journalism is clear
and values information above all. Good design only serves to enhance content
and exists simply to pull everything into a coherent and integrated whole.
I focused my design for this project around simplicity, contrast, alignment
and consistency. Joel Sklar, author of Designing Web Sites (2001),
suggests one design with the whole site in mind. "Reinforce the identifying
elements of the site and create smooth transitions from one page to another
by repeating colors and fonts and by using a page layout that allows various
hierarchical levels." (p. 28). Contrast provides visual interest and
a hierarchy to any Web page. It is critical to the organization of information.
When working with contrast I tried to overemphasize the difference. I
didn't make the element slightly different, I made it very much so. I
used both serif and sans-serif fonts for elements of different importance.
I also used widely contrasting colors (orange and green) to provide emphasis.
Through use of contrast, I hope that viewers will easily be able to find
and understand what is intended by On the Edge. I consciously chose to align this project
with a horizontal navigation. I wanted to give balance and visual connections
to the many elements of the site. Because the text requires users to scroll
vertically, I hoped a horizontal navigation would give a sense of order
to the site. Good balance encourages viewer's eyes to flow around a page
naturally. Consistency is an oft-ignored element
in design. Being consistent from one page to the next provides viewers
with a sense of coherency. Because I chose a horizontal navigation, I
continued that alignment throughout On the Edge. Users won't have
to re-learn how to get around the site when they navigate from page to
page. I chose to use fonts consistently for titles, cutlines and body
text and continued that methodology throughout the site. By being consistent,
I hope that each page of On the Edge looks like it belongs to the
others in some way. Many other design issues came into
play during the creation of On the Edge. I tried to use active
white space throughout to break up bodies of text. When images weren't
available (as in the case of Dom), I tried to use typographic techniques
in the place of images. I intentionally focused on text weight and size
in order to communicate the relative importance of information. I used
color throughout the site and based it around an orange and green theme.
I wanted the project to have a natural, environmental feel and chose a
deep green to meet this effort. I chose orange because it is a natural
opposite of green on the color wheel, which provided good contrast, as
well as a little fun. For the photography throughout the
site, I tried to balance download time with the provision content. The
photos are relatively small on loading the page, but they are also zoomable,
meaning if you click on them, they launch a new page with a larger version
of the same image. My introduction was created in the software Director and exported to a Shockwave file so it can be viewed online. I set up a plug-in javascript to ensure that anyone visiting the site would have the necessary tools to view the project in its entirety. Because of the problems I had with the audio conversion, I chose to leave them in an AIFF format. A significant part of journalism entails getting one's hands dirty. One has to get in there and dig in order to find the story. Whether it be through tromping around the woods trying to find a squatter's cabin or through countless hours in front of a computer screen editing and recompressing audio files, it is this creation of the tangible through hard work that continues my love for work in new media. I believe that some of the best education comes through trials by fire, and On the Edge provided its fair share of these. The project challenged me in many ways
and forced me to learn about issues I initially hadn't considered. I found
that writing for multimedia forced me to think more about giving my readers
variety and choice. The journalistic challenges centered around getting
the story and researching without reveling the identities of my subjects.
Technically, software bugs and simple cross-platform issues stumped me
as well. Through traditional and computer-assisted research, however,
these issues were resolved in some way. Though frustrating at times, these
challenges were probably where I did the most of my learning. What does this project offer that traditional
media cannot? The site incorporates more than just writing. There are
photos, video and audio that help to tell the subjects' stories as well
as provide mood and ambience. Viewers are given choices about experiencing
the stories. The site is also updateable and expandable as the Internet
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