Post 3 - Novel use of streaming media

I mentioned in one of my previous posts that it would be nice to have news video next to the print version of the story. Taking that one step further, streaming video on the web should be more interactive such that more information is always one click away. The video could have an RSS feed embeded as a sort of ticker where news articles regarding this story are being tracked. Or, if a website is mentioned, the URL appears on the screen, clickable. A news story about a new study on diabetes would be linked to specific parts of the study, maybe pop-up graphs or even a spreadsheet of the raw data for those who want to do their own analysis. Every story would be integrated with video, text and deeper data for those who want to delve further and a community to verify or dispute the story, something like a combination wiki, blog, CNN, New York Times and a university library.

This might even pull media away from the soundbite concept in that stories instead of something to be consumed, become something to be experienced. A story of a death includes places for the family and friends to talk about their loved one plus, if the death was violent, a place for the community to discuss the problem, plus a place for the media to give the facts of the story etc.

At work, we keep talking about making online shopping less of a transaction, more of an experience. Something people enjoy rather than something they check off their list. Why couldn't news media do this? We're already part of the way there with the indepth story pieces that the big news outlets do (see ESPN's coverage of the World Cup at http://soccernet.espn.go.com/section?id=worldcup&cc=5901), but this is the place for the local news outlet to shine and create a community space online. Sports can do this as there are sports communities around the world that all unite around specific events, but what if we did this at a local level? Instead of standing around the water cooler talking about what Rory did on the Gilmore Girls, we'd chat about the latest issues as if they were old friends.

Ok, so it's a little idealistic and it's really asking a lot of people to participate in something like this, especially when they are so cut off from their neighbors. I should talk, I barely know my next door neighbors to say nothing of the larger community and I only live in a town with 4,000 people. But the idea still has potential.