Writers and Editors

The Internet hugely expands our ability to search for text, images, and information. Digitalization allows us to explore many kinds of media on a laptop. New technologies provide new ways not only to explain complex subjects but to make old explanations and stories come alive. VidLits, resembling movie trailers, are increasingly used to promote books. Personal historians are not only helping people write their memoirs and family histories but are producing tribute and memorial videos (check out the tribute to Suzie, an old man's dog). Graphic novels are expanding our concept of fiction. Newspapers such as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune are exploring online multimedia presentations of their big series. All of these changes make the head swim. What new skills must we learn, what new technologies master? We may have trouble keeping up, but think of the possibilities.

You can download free (on the Web) most of the software you need to watch video online. At a minimum you probably need Adobe Reader, RealPlayer, and Flash. Download them from a government site and they're likely to be safe!

Design. These books may be helpful:
• Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Text for Readers by A. Schriver
• Type & Layout: Are You Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes by Colin Wheildon
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (2nd edition) and his other books: Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative /a> (and there are others!)

Interactive maps. Some examples: When Did Your County's Jobs Disappear (an interactive map illustrating Chris Wilson's story, Slate, 8-10-2009); The Geography of Jobs (TIP); Online Interactive Maps (educational maps, for children AND adults!); Measure of America measuring levels of human development in various states.

PowerPoint. Edward R. Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within ($7), and you can read a sample here of why understanding PowerPoint is particularly important with technical material: PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports (Tufte analyzes one incident of flawed PowerPoint, in a Boeing analysis of launch damage to the space shuttle Columbia, arguing that poor PowerPoint design led to grave misinterpretations of Columbia's vulnerability and to Columbia blowing up on re-entry). Go here for links to many more Tufte essays by the author of the classic The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (now in its second edition).

The problems with digital archiving (Carolyn Gardiana, Hollywood Reporter), story on report from the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

VidLits--examples of book trailers from one of the first sources
• Laura Sydell's NPR story about Web 'VidLits,' featuring Yiddish with Dick and Jane
• The Dog Dialed 911
• Julie and Julia (brings out the book's appeal, which is different from the movie's)
• Liz Dubelman's "Craziest" (8 minutes and a 'must-see' for Scrabble fans)
• Yiddish with George and Laura
• More VidLits