BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Multimedia Storytelling 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'immersive journalism' and which technology most commonly enables it?
- Embedding reporters in military units, enabled by satellite phones
- A form of storytelling that places audiences inside a story experience, often using virtual reality (VR) (Correct answer)
- Long-form writing with no visual elements, enabled by text-to-speech
- Live coverage of natural disasters using weather drones
Correct answer: A form of storytelling that places audiences inside a story experience, often using virtual reality (VR)
Immersive journalism uses VR and 360-degree video to create first-person story experiences, pioneered by journalists like Nonny de la Peña.
Question 2: When building a multimedia news package, what is the purpose of an 'anchor page'?
- A page that ranks highest in Google search results
- A central hub page that organizes and links all multimedia elements of a story together (Correct answer)
- The first page printed in a physical newspaper
- A page dedicated exclusively to source citations
Correct answer: A central hub page that organizes and links all multimedia elements of a story together
An anchor page serves as the entry point and navigation hub for a multimedia package, connecting videos, interactives, audio, and text into a cohesive story experience.
Question 3: What distinguishes 'solutions journalism' from traditional reporting in a multimedia context?
- It avoids covering negative events entirely
- It reports on responses to social problems, examining what works and why, alongside coverage of the problem itself (Correct answer)
- It requires journalists to propose policy recommendations
- It focuses exclusively on technology as the solution to any issue
Correct answer: It reports on responses to social problems, examining what works and why, alongside coverage of the problem itself
Solutions journalism rigorously covers evidence-based responses to problems, giving audiences not just the what and why but examples of how communities are addressing issues.
Question 4: A news organization live-streams a press conference on social media. Which legal consideration is most immediately relevant?
- Defamation liability for statements made by the press conference speaker
- Music playing in the background could trigger an automated copyright claim (Correct answer)
- The journalist must obtain a live-streaming license from the FCC
- Live video cannot be archived without prior written consent from attendees
Correct answer: Music playing in the background could trigger an automated copyright claim
Background music at events is often copyright-protected; streaming it can trigger automated Content ID claims on platforms like Facebook or YouTube, potentially muting or removing the stream.
Question 5: In audience analytics for digital journalism, what does a high 'bounce rate' typically indicate?
- Articles are being shared widely across social platforms
- Many visitors leave the page quickly without engaging further with the site (Correct answer)
- The multimedia content is loading too slowly to measure
- Returning readers are visiting the site multiple times per day
Correct answer: Many visitors leave the page quickly without engaging further with the site
A high bounce rate suggests visitors are not finding what they expected or that content isn't compelling enough to prompt further exploration of the site.
Question 6: Which interview technique is specifically important when conducting interviews for audio-first multimedia stories?
- Asking only yes/no questions to keep responses brief
- Prompting subjects to speak in full sentences and describe scenes verbally so audio stands alone without a host's narration (Correct answer)
- Filming the subject's face to add emotional context later
- Conducting interviews via text message to ensure accuracy
Correct answer: Prompting subjects to speak in full sentences and describe scenes verbally so audio stands alone without a host's narration
Audio storytelling depends on rich, descriptive quotes that work without visual support, so journalists coach subjects to elaborate with sensory and narrative detail.
Question 7: What is 'user-generated content' (UGC) and what is the journalist's primary responsibility when using it?
- Content created by the news organization's audience team; no verification needed since it comes from the public
- Photos, videos, or posts created by members of the public; journalists must verify authenticity and obtain permission before publishing (Correct answer)
- Content generated by AI tools on behalf of users; must be disclosed as AI-written
- Comments posted on a news article; they are automatically considered fair use
Correct answer: Photos, videos, or posts created by members of the public; journalists must verify authenticity and obtain permission before publishing
UGC from eyewitnesses or social media must be authenticated for location, time, and origin, and permission or credit must be secured before publication.
BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Multimedia Storytelling 5
What is 'immersive journalism' and which technology most commonly enables it?