Snow Fall
"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek" | |
---|---|
Short story by John Branch | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Multimedia feature/Long-form journalism |
Publication | |
Publisher | The New York Times |
Publication date | 2012 |
"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek," is a
Origins
In a Q&A with New York Times readers published the day after "Snow Fall"’s launch, Branch described how the story evolved beyond a traditional news article.[4] "Credit Joe Sexton, the sports editor, with seeing something bigger," Branch explained. "A couple of days after the avalanche in February, The Times had a front-page article about the recent spate of avalanche deaths, particularly among expert skiers. To most editors, that would have been more than enough. But Joe saw the potential for telling the story in a more powerful, yet narrower, way. And he assigned me the task. The key was the cooperation of those involved. Every one of them opened his or her heart to me, a stranger with only a loose idea of where the story might head. They were honest and gracious and trusting. And when I returned with their stories, and we saw how their various perspectives of the same avalanche wove together, we invited the smart people in our interactive and graphics departments to help with the telling."[4]
Format
A graphics and design team of eleven staffers worked on the feature (including a photographer, three video staffers, and a researcher), taking more than six months to assemble the piece.[5]
Digital Designer Andrew Kueneman said that running a full-screen piece with various media required the newspaper to publish outside of its typical content management system. "This story was not produced in our normal CMS," Kueneman explained. "We don't have the luxury of doing this type of design typically on the web. Now we just have more options and more tools."[2]
Graphics Director Steve Duenes told Poynter that the format presented "ways to allow readers to read into, and then through multimedia, and then out of multimedia. So it didn't feel like you were taking a detour, but the multimedia was part of the one narrative flow."[6] "The experience sort of absorbs you," Duenes added. "That was really the intention -- to try to get closer to a seamless and coherent article that included all of the elements that made the article strong."[6]
Poynter's Jeff Sonderman explained that a flyover animation transported the reader to the mountains and ski areas where the story takes place. "Graphics Editor Jeremy White gathered
Reaction
"Snow Fall" became a sensation in journalism circles. NYU's Jay Rosen called it "a break point in online journalism."[7]
The feature won the
Influence in the journalism industry
The feature inspired the Times to appoint Sam Sifton "Snowfaller in Chief," expanding multimedia narratives in the newsroom in the tradition of '"Snow Fall".[9]
References
- ^ a b "Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek (www.nytimes.com)". Peabody Awards 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
- ^ a b Greenfield, Rebecca (2012-12-20). "What the New York Times's 'Snow Fall' Means to Online Journalism's Future". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
- S2CID 60732515.
- ^ a b "Q. and A.: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek". The New York Times. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
- ^ Thompson, Derek (2012-12-21). "'Snow Fall' Isn't the Future of Journalism". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
- ^ Poynter. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
- ^ "NYT". The Editorialiste. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
- ^ "72nd Annual Peabody Awards winners announced". UGA Today. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
- ^ "Jill Abramson announces big leadership changes at 'New York Times'". Politico. 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
External links
- "Snow Fall" in The New York Times.