All About Flash

It is great to learn more on the theoratical aspect of Flash Journalism. I have experienced with Flash in my undergraduate study, yet in Computer Science but not Journalsim, and play it from time to time. Still, there are a lot of things to explore in the area of Flash Journalism. Using Flash on their news websites to increase interactivity is a trend in today's media because Flash has characteristics including broad user base, versatility and suitability to the online environment. However, some of them are blindly used, and sometimes, abused. I have worked for CCTV and assisted to update their website in last summer. I remembered once a time they decided to have flash videos on one of their program's website because they thought "that will make things cooler". But actually, the flash video did not quite comply with the program content, and the worse thing is that the flash was not doing good for site navigation. I recalled this ancedote because I saw this sentence in the reading of Chapter 2: "Functionality shoudl take precedence over coolness". I buried this quote in my mind and decided that I will never let it happen to my sites.

The idea of feedback

Chapter 1 made a brief mention of 'feedback' as one of the thing that Flash enables.
The readiings didn't go very far into this point, but I think that feedback may be one of the big things that Flash brings to the table. Mostly, feedback is superficially thought of (and the readings are guilty of this too) as simply 'two-way' communication. To be sure, it is this, but it is also more. The flexible message boards that you can build in flash allows for content that other reader can easily comment on. But the amazing thing is that when they do this, author can amend the content to comport with the criticisms. When that happens, the content is fudamentally different than when it started. Any new criticsms of the work will then continue the process of feedback until a unique and consensus-building 'equilibrium' is established. This process lends itself more toward text than images: text can be edited on any scale, from microscopic to macroscopic. Images and video are not so easy. Changes to images tend to destroy the images. Thus, pictures and video must be either accepted or rejected wholesale. It is interesting to consider that the while text is the most 'dry' of the mediums, and producers of all stripes scramble make their websites 'move', the simple printed word is the best way to take advantage of Flash's unique feedback possibilities.

Flash is Cool

One of the things I love about Flash is that it can streamline the navigation process of a webpage (when it's used correctly). For example, this fall, The Boston Globe did a five-part series using Soundslides and Flash. The J-school already uses Soundslides, and when it's mixed with Flash, an entire multimedia project can be presented quite simply on a single page. A reader can scroll over a button on the page if they want to find out more about one of the features, and it's pretty easy to move between parts of the page. The same holds true for this Minneapolis Star Tribune feature, called Witness. Flash allows readers to easily scroll through dozens of feature stories, and had the Star Tribune used basic HTML instead of Flash, it would be very difficult to navigate through these stories. The strange thing about Flash is that while it can simplify the design of a webpage, it can also allow you to have many more features on a page. So in reality, it makes things simple while adding complexity.

Room for Flash Journalism

By Joyce Choi
Can't imagine this is our last blog assignment! =)

The issue at question is the potential of employing Flash Journalism in the J-school's media. The following discussion defines J-school's media as including: KOMU, Missourian, VOX, Adelante, KBIA, Global Journalist, MOJO-Ad, Missouri Digital News (MDN) and the J-school Web site.

First of all, which media employ Flash already, and which not?

Yes: Missourian, Global Journalist, MOJO-Ad and J-school Web site
No: KOMU, VOX, KBIA, Adelante and MDN

Details of how each medium can better perform their potential for Flash Journalism:

Missourian - There are plain audio complemented to text, and slideshows already. Missourian has COOL graphics on paper from time to time; base on the graphics it already has, it may go on further to create ANIMATED infographics online. It's a lot of work, so invest only on important and worthy news.

Global Journalist - I think they have done the best job so far. According to Mindy McAdam's Flash Journalism, it has the BEST CONTROL (viewer can choose from read story only; view photos only; or view multimedia slideshow) and BEST FEEDBACK (many links to different BLOGS; Forums; and a CROSSWORD puzzle is coming up soon).

MOJO-AD - Very cool, professional-looking Flash design to introduce the MOJO-AD specialists. Since this Web site is basically for promotion, I do think a promo made from a Flash sequence (a video around 45 seconds) would be suitable.

J-school Web site - A great job on putting MP3, PDF, XML video and photo files with great control. The Webcam feed of the Walter William construction site is amazing too. I don't think a Flash intro placed foremost would be wise : that's not professional. BUT, I think it's possible that each journalism sequence may create short promos, or collect short interviews of Alumi's feedbacks. People would be so CONVINCED to come to MU School of Journalism. =)

KOMU - It has the orginal news cast video clips attached to texts. As a TV medium, I don't think multimedia is necessarily beneficial. But to utilize resources, KOMU may transform the graphics it already has, again, to ANIMATED infographics.

VOX - VOX's topics are SUPER interesting and GREAT for multimedia. Yet, they just put plain text and photos. I would say VOX has the greatest potential to employ Flash Journalism. They can have slideshows for profile stories, amazing INFOGRAPHICS for their funny investigations (such as a MAP showing which part of US uses "Pop", which uses "Soda"; a MAP showing where the nice restaurants are in Columbia, and TIMELINE etc.). Hope multimedia would not hurt VOX's quality though.

KBIA - Definitely there are audio; there is streaming audio too. As a radio medium, it's ironic if it tries to put video to audio. But, there is potential for using slideshows: visuals that do not distract listners from listening.

Adelante - There is barely photo to each article right now. Plain text - could be informative, but can be super boring too. I suggest starting from adding photos, and when possible, try slideshows.

MDN - Since its purpose is more of a database, multimedia is not needed.

flash me

I liked reading the chapters about flash, and it's definitely something the J-school here at MU could incorporate more. Interstingly, the current managing editor of the Missourian, Ruben Stern, is crazy about graphics and frequently makes announcements to reporters to see what they can do to add more of them (and general interactivity and online extras) whenever possible. So, although the MIssourian can certainly do better (and they will continue to do so when the new web site is released), they've come a long way.

The most important part of that, besides having tech-savvy journalists who know how to use Flash, is to continue to communicate to reporters the importanc of multimedia. Most of the flash stories we've done don't have that crucial component most online users require: control. We should make our multimedia more interactive. Instead of just hitting play, they should be able to have a wide variety of functions.

Still, all in all, I'm excited to learn Flash.

Flash response

As journalists, we strive to deliver the news while keeping the viewer entertained. As new technology develops, our jobs are getting easier and easier.

For example, by blending elements in Flash video, wecan help bring the consumer closer to the story. It's interactive, has the potential to evoke more emotion than text and picture alone, and works well on either Mac or PC format.

Just think: the news is no longer just regurgitated, but instead can be presented through pictures and natural sound, allowing the viewer to get a feel for the actual event instead of the cold indifference of text. No matter how you slice it, it is still more personsal to hear the shrieks of sports fans or fire victims than to merely read it.

Moreover, flash provides for excellent 'filler,' (or non-hardness aspect) such as quizzes to see how well a person understands an issue.

I believe that the best part of flash is that it gives the reader the reigns to pick and choose what aspect of a story they view. With so many facets available, they can navigate the module and spend as little or much time as they want browsing.

Still, there are a few drawbacks, such as the iniability to print off pages from flash. (This might be fixed later, as was the blurry text problem.)

Flash Journalism...

Mo Scarpelli - Why is Flash journalism effective? One needs only to look at pertinent examples of Flash media to find out. I think of it this way: Why would you use only one or two separate senses to experience something when you could use all your senses at the same time? According to the Chapters on Flash Journalism, "Flash can be the ideal delivery vehicle for some packages." Obviously not all packages can use Flash effectively, but for some it can really widen the scope of delivery for news consumers.

The chapters on Flash journalism bring up an interesting point - when they talk about the six dimensions of interactivity, I thought about the challenges Flash journalism imposes on journalists at large. Of course, using just one medium would require using the six dimensions, but Flash journalism, incorporating multiple mediums, requires more attention to each dimension for each medium.

I see Flash journalism opening up news media to taking multiple approaches to one subject - everything, in that sense, can be turned into a human interest story. Links give so much room to one story, giving the consumer the option of finding out more about whatever it is they're interested in - and if they just want to stick to the main story, they can do that, too. As the chapters say, "choice is one aspect of interactivity." I think this offering a choice is the most important and to some the most appealing aspect of Flash journalism. Americans especially are extremely independent. Flash journalism could only flourish in a society where choice is held so high in regard.

I love the emotional aspects Flash can lend to a subject. One of my favorite websites is www.joelsartore.com. Joel Sartore is a fantastic photographer for the National Geographic Society, and he posts his pictures in a sleek slideshow on his website. Although it's not available on his website now, Sartore also offers a slideshow with his commentary. I don't think just reading what he has to say about his exciting life as a photojournalism for NG in print or just seeing the pictures is enough - getting it all, especially with his voice (he's a compelling storyteller) gives an amazing insider's view of his life.