Online Story Telling Forms

By: Jared C. Clark

Re-writing activity based on article of the same name, by Jonathan Dube.

The Basic Forms

Telling news stories online is exciting and challenging because of all the tools at our disposal. Words, ideas, structure, interactives, audio, video -- the possiblities seem endless.

Print Plus

Taking a story from print, and posting it on the web. This form is not very effective because there is little or no interactivity.
msnbc.com

Clickable Interactive

Interactive way of telling a story incorporating audio, video, or animation. Popular among users, they are very expensive to produce.
Aircraft Carrier Tour

Slideshows

Slideshows use images to tell a story and are generally very effective.
Shattered

Audio Stories

When sounds that can't be described with words or a person says something in a certain way, audio can be a powerful tool in presenting a story.
The Enemy Below

Narrated Slide Shows

Combine slide shows with narration or video to create a powerful story.
The Nuclear Gamble

Live Chats

Live chats can be a powerful way of telling a story in a question and answer format. However, if live chats do not have adequate moderation they are nearly useless.

Quizzes and Surveys

An entire story can be told in a question and answer format using quizzes and surveys. This is a powerful form because it engages the reader.
Video Game Ratings

Animated Stories

Animated stories are great when you don't have pictures or video. It's important not to overuse this form, since many pop-ups use animations.
How the Pros Played the Masters

Multimedia Interactives

Multimedia Interactives combine multiple forms to create hybrid forms. They are comprehensive packages that tell stories the way no other medium can.
Driving Through the Ages