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June 29, 2016, 12:13 p.m.
Reporting & Production
LINK: www.pbs.org  ➚   |   Posted by: Taylyn Washington-Harmon   |   June 29, 2016

The PBS documentary series POV is collaborating with The New York Times to produce a new interactive “embedded mediamaker” project covering race and ethnicity. The goal of the project is to explore issues using new media formats and “the future of digital documentaries.”

“We’re looking now for a mediamaker — whether a traditional filmmaker, an online video creator or a developer who uses code — to merge storytelling and social platforms to create a conversation that’s entirely new,” Adnaan Wasey, POV’s digital executive producer, said in a press release.

The selected mediamaker will work closely with The New York Times’ Race/Related newsletter, including a team of writers, editors, and storytellers who produce content on the effects of race in the everyday lives of people of color. The newsletter has included a number of different content types, including Q&As, photo essays, and links to other race-related links around the web. (The Times and POV have collaborated before on a number of documentary projects.)

The collaboration is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is “actively encouraging collaborations at the intersection of documentary storytelling techniques and digital journalism,” according to the foundation’s Kathy Im. In 2013, American Documentary Inc., producer of POV, was one of 13 nonprofits to receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, receiving $1 million from the Foundation.

The partners are currently seeking pitches from mediamakers, who would work with the Times team for 20 weeks. Apply here; the deadline’s July 25.

Screenshot via The New York Times; illustration by T.S. Abe.

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