Linking content and format will be key

“To do this effectively, journalists must conceptualize stories through an honest discussion that has format at its core.”

Journalists have traditionally seen their job as creating content. How that content then progresses — from when the journalist types the last sentence to when the story is ready for consumption — is usually a process involving other members of an editorial team: copy editors, art directors and designers, and other production people.

As I prepare the Spring 2022 syllabus for my Multiplatform Design & Storytelling class at Columbia University, I’m keenly aware that the students I train and mentor to be journalists need to become adept at how content and story formats come together.

The link that journalism and technology share has never been more essential and stronger. We can no longer separate how stories flow, how they are updated, and how they are promoted in social media and newsletters from the technology that allows for the constant flow of information.

This isn’t to say that journalists need to become coders. But a journalist today must understand the technical processes that allow us to keep information current and to tell stories in a more engaging, mobile-friendly manner. Readers who consume news and features on mobile devices appreciate stories that are told seamlessly, with the narrative and visual assets coming together in a natural flow. To do this effectively, journalists must conceptualize stories through an honest discussion that has format at its core. The idea must be to start thinking of how the story would be consumed in small formats (such as phone screens) and then adapt it to larger formats (such as printed material).

How a story is packaged today corresponds directly with the platform in which it will be consumed. It’s up to the individual reporter to recognize what each platform can do best and to exploit those qualities in the way the story is written and designed. For mobile stories, appeal to the senses beyond static photos to incorporate audio and video components.

We already see content relevance, format, and presentation becoming key engines to effective visual storytelling. In 2022, the emphasis on how content and format come together should be a centerpiece of strategic discussions in every newsroom.

Journalists have traditionally seen their job as creating content. How that content then progresses — from when the journalist types the last sentence to when the story is ready for consumption — is usually a process involving other members of an editorial team: copy editors, art directors and designers, and other production people.

As I prepare the Spring 2022 syllabus for my Multiplatform Design & Storytelling class at Columbia University, I’m keenly aware that the students I train and mentor to be journalists need to become adept at how content and story formats come together.

The link that journalism and technology share has never been more essential and stronger. We can no longer separate how stories flow, how they are updated, and how they are promoted in social media and newsletters from the technology that allows for the constant flow of information.

This isn’t to say that journalists need to become coders. But a journalist today must understand the technical processes that allow us to keep information current and to tell stories in a more engaging, mobile-friendly manner. Readers who consume news and features on mobile devices appreciate stories that are told seamlessly, with the narrative and visual assets coming together in a natural flow. To do this effectively, journalists must conceptualize stories through an honest discussion that has format at its core. The idea must be to start thinking of how the story would be consumed in small formats (such as phone screens) and then adapt it to larger formats (such as printed material).

How a story is packaged today corresponds directly with the platform in which it will be consumed. It’s up to the individual reporter to recognize what each platform can do best and to exploit those qualities in the way the story is written and designed. For mobile stories, appeal to the senses beyond static photos to incorporate audio and video components.

We already see content relevance, format, and presentation becoming key engines to effective visual storytelling. In 2022, the emphasis on how content and format come together should be a centerpiece of strategic discussions in every newsroom.

Melody Kramer

Megan McCarthy

John Davidow

Christoph Mergerson

Robert Hernandez

Jody Brannon

Amara Aguilar

Sam Guzik

Stefanie Murray

Joshua P. Darr

Jonas Kaiser

Joni Deutsch

Raney Aronson-Rath

Daniel Eilemberg

Laxmi Parthasarathy

Gonzalo del Peon

Julia Munslow

Brian Moritz

Mary Walter-Brown

Zizi Papacharissi

Matthew Pressman

Wilson Liévano

Izabella Kaminska

Cindy Royal

Burt Herman

Sarah Stonbely

Nikki Usher

Anita Varma

Matt DeRienzo

Joy Mayer

Anika Anand

Joe Amditis

Shalabh Upadhyay

Whitney Phillips

Anthony Nadler

Joanne McNeil

Simon Allison

Meena Thiruvengadam

Catalina Albeanu

Jennifer Brandel

Alice Antheaume

James Green

Millie Tran

Cherian George

Simon Galperin

Natalia Viana

Julia Angwin

Mike Rispoli

j. Siguru Wahutu

Gordon Crovitz

Tony Baranowski

Shannon McGregor & Carolyn Schmitt

Tom Trewinnard

Christina Shih

Paul Cheung

Jim Friedlich

Jesse Holcomb

Victor Pickard

Stephen Fowler

Chase Davis

Doris Truong

Matt Karolian

Richard Tofel

David Cohn

Don Day

Kerri Hoffman

Gabe Schneider

Jessica Clark

Ariel Zirulnick

Janelle Salanga

Kathleen Searles & Rebekah Trumble

David Skok

Rachel Glickhouse

Ståle Grut

Jesenia De Moya Correa

Mario García

Francesco Zaffarano

Parker Molloy

Kristen Jeffers

Eric Nuzum

Kendra Pierre-Louis

Larry Ryckman

Amy Schmitz Weiss

Mandy Jenkins

Juleyka Lantigua

Jennifer Coogan

Candace Amos

Andrew Freedman

Cristina Tardáguila

Chicas Poderosas

S. Mitra Kalita

An Xiao Mina

A.J. Bauer

Sarah Marshall

Errin Haines

Moreno Cruz Osório

Kristen Muller

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen

Tamar Charney

Michael W. Wagner