POYi

Tyson Sprick
I really appreciated the "Final Salute" multimedia story from Rocky Mountain news. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, but it was very touching and took me to the places the article described. An in-depth article like that is good on its own, but the captivating pictures paired with touching audio really added so much to the story. Instead of just reading about the young widow crying we were able to see it and listen to her voice describe going through her husband's death.
The different presentations showed different stories and aspects from under the same umbrella, much like the text did with its different parts and sub headlines. But people identify more with images and sound, and that is why the additional audio slideshows were such a touching addition. I think this is where convergence is heading, toward in-depth features like these, and I don't think anything but good can come out of it. The first week we read opposing responses to "backpack" journalism, discussing the positives and negatives of the movement. But I'd like someone to tell me how presentations like this are "half-ass" journalism or denigrating the quality of our media. I would love to see more projects like this in the future, and I think it's inevitable that we will.