An interactive platform for your daily news
The Globe and Mail’s new project, “The World in Ten Blocks,” introduces an interactive platform unlike anything I have previously encountered. Instead of simply posting a single block of text, “The World in Ten Blocks” takes the reader on a digital stroll down Bloor Street in downtown Toronto. With the scroll of your mouse, you can interact with the people that work behind each door by stopping in at their shops.
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The article showcases the diversity present in only ten blocks of Toronto and demonstrates the hardships faced by immigrants both in the past and the present. Being able to see images and videos of the people, where they work, and where they came from made me more interested in what was going on; I wanted to continue learning. Unlike traditional news articles where it is simply a block of text with a few very static images, this method truly captured my attention.In addition to the images, there are also video clips that allow people who are featured to speak for themselves and describe the situation in their own words, making each story seem more personable as quotes come alive.
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For all its positive aspects, the new format does have a few drawbacks. While the format lends itself to a story about the stroll down Bloor Street, it may not be the best format for other types of articles. The small blurbs of text associated with pictures and backgrounds work for a documentary-style article, but an article on, for example, tax increases or a political scandal would be more difficult to adequately portray in this format.
Additionally, this format works well when the entire matter is related to a single main point, in this case showcasing the diversity that can be seen in specific area of Toronto. For a typical newspaper, where there are a multitude of different stories that are unrelated, this format could face additional hardships.Breaking news could also be a struggle for this new format. The time required to take photos or videos, do interviews, edit everything together, and produce a quality piece may cause a large disconnect between an event’s occurrence and the story’s publication. If more videos are used to save time on writing and editing, this format begins to become more like a televised news broadcast and loses its interactive element, defeating the purpose of the format.
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The format used in “The World in Ten Blocks” is excellent if used for the proper story or for special issues of the paper that have an overarching theme. Even though the format may not be the best option for all digital news stories The Globe and Mail has given us a glimpse into the potential future of journalism.
Image courtesy of The Globe and Mail.