List: general multimedia tools

This list is curated specifically for the News Reporting Workshop. All of these tools were chosen to meet the following requirements:

• • Content can be created on desktop or smartphone
  • Final multimedia elements are embeddable
  • Multimedia element works properly on mobile devices
  • No coding required
  • Tool is easy to use or support is easily available
  • Tool is free, freemium or free to try
  • Many tools can be used together

An important point to remember: multimedia takes time to produce. For any project, you must give yourself enough time to pick a tool, learn it, craft your multimedia element, fail at it and try again, refine it, then make sure it works in the piece. Don’t expect to whip up excellence right before your deadline.

Maps (when geography/location is important)

• Google My Maps: Good place to start to map addresses, highlight an area or track a route. Refer to this tutorial if you get stuck. NOTE: Must have a Google account.
• Datawrapper: Designed by journalists, for journalists. Easy to use, with many helpful tutorials. Start with a template or from scratch. Choose “responsive” to embed, but take a screen grab if you want to use it as an image. NOTE: With the free version you’re only allowed one locator map a month. Update your browser before you run this tool.
• Infogram: Easy to use, with many tutorials. Start with a template or from scratch. Choose “responsive” to embed, but take a screen grab if you want to use it as an image. NOTE: There are limited maps in the free version (only world and U.S.) and some may not be tone appropriate. This tool is not the best choice if you want to focus on Canada.
• Flourish: This Google tool is way more advanced than My Maps. Start with a template, but refer to the tutorials if you get stuck. There are also video tutorials.
• StoryMapJS: This tool is about location AND time, so it’s a map and timeline combined. Use it on its own for a self-contained “story,” but it can be embedded in a larger piece too. You need a Google account to use this.

General tips:

• Gather, sort and arrange your data before using one of these tools. In many cases you can upload a spreadsheet.
• An interactive map (i.e. embeddable on a website) is helpful if there’s a reason for the user to click, tap or hover. It means there needs to be content or layers to explore. Embeds take time to load on a website, so if you just want to plot addresses on a map, save it as a still image instead.
• Examples IRL: Are pads and tampons taxed but Viagra and Rogaine not? (Infogram), America’s graying population in 3 maps (Datawrapper), 

Reading: Does your data visualization say what you think it says? 

Charts (when you have numbers/stats)

• Google charts: A good place to start. You need a Google account and must work in Google Sheets. Google will come up with a chart based on the data, but you will certainly have to tweak it or even change it. NOTE: Save the finished item as a JPG for embedding and treat it as an image when you add it to the story. You’ll need to add the credit source in the image caption field because you can’t add it in the chart itself.
• Datawrapper: Designed by journalists, for journalists. Easy to use, with many helpful tutorials. Start with a template or from scratch. Choose “responsive” to embed, but take a screen grab if you want to use it as an image.
• Infogram: Easy to use, with many tutorials. Start with a template or upload a file. Choose “responsive” to embed, but take a screen grab if you want to use it as an image. NOTE: Make sure the look matches the tone of your piece.
• Flourish:  A Google tool with plenty of options. Start with a template, but refer to the tutorials if you get stuck. This can get complicated! There are also video tutorials. NOTE: some people find the chart section easier to navigate than the map section.

General tips:

• Gather, sort and arrange your data before using one of these tools. In many cases you can upload a spreadsheet.
• An interactive map (i.e. embeddable on a website) is helpful if there’s a reason for the user to click, tap or hover. It means there needs to be content or layers to explore. Embeds take time to load on a website, so if you just want to plot addresses on a map, save it as a still image instead.
• Examples IRL:  An inconvenient quagmire (Datawrapper), River level predictions: How they stacked up with reality (Infogram)
• Readings: Designing persuasive charts (video), Visual vocabulary from FT, How to choose the right visualization for your data

Timelines (when you want to show a chronology)

• TimelineJS: This tool was built by a journalist. You need a Google account and will work from a template in Google Sheets. Go with straight text or add multimedia (e.g. photo, YouTube video, tweet), but keep the text focused and concise. NOTE: Timeline was recently changed so refer to the tutorial even if you’ve used this tool before.
• StoryMapJS: This tool is about time AND location. Use it on its own for a self-contained “story,” but it can be embedded in a larger piece too.

General tips:

• Keep your timeline focused so it’s manageable. For example, if your story is a profile of a particular journalist, the timeline could focus on that person’s transformative experiences in journalism, rather than every moment in their life.
• Gather and sort your data before adding it to the spreadsheet. This will help you to organize your thoughts and spot holes in your work.
• Example IRL:  The original old boys club (TimelineJS), The full timeline of how social media turned United into the biggest story in the country (no particular tool at all!)

Photos (when you have one key image or more to highlight)

• Photos app: You may want to mark up an image right on your iPhone with circles, text or both. This tutorial tells you how to do that.
• Adobe PS Express:  Make a photo collage on your iPhone. Use your Adobe account. NOTE: You’ll need to add the credit source in the image caption field once this is added to your story.
• Canva: Annotate an image using this tool, but it won’t be interactive. Check out the tutorials if you get stuck.
• JuxtaposeJS: Useful for before/after comparisons. This tool was created by the same people who made TimelineJs, so there are only a few steps. NOTE: You need a Dropbox account to upload photos.
• iMovie: Use this iPhone app to package a slideshow as video, then embed the video in your piece. NOTE: Use another tool for photo editing before using iMovie.

Video, GIFs and screen grabs

• Adobe Spark Video: This is useful for explainer videos. Start with a template to create videos from photos, text, etc. Use your Adobe account.
• Quik: Simple one-track video editing for iOS and Android, but the free version has limitations. This tool wants you to use templates so it’s probably best if you’ve already edited your video and just want to add text.
• iMovie: Package a video. NOTE: Upload to the Signal YouTube account, but get the password from Terra or Jeff first.
• VideoScribe: Make a whiteboard video. NOTE: The free trial is only for seven days and there are restrictions on what you can do. You need to download the program to your computer to access it.
• Record iPhone screen: This is useful if you want to show what’s on your smartphone or how you’re using it. NOTE: You must have iOS 11 or higher
• QuickTime:  Make a video recording of your computer screen (Mac).
• Giphy: Create your own GIF. File sizes may be too large to process, so have a separate cropped video to upload.
• Headliner: This tool lets you create visual/audio cards for social or embedding.

Audio

• SoundCiteJS: From the makers of TimelineJS, this tool is useful for adding short audio clips to a piece. NOTE: Audio clips need to be uploaded to the Signal site so talk to the instructor first.
• SoundCloud: This is particularly useful for longer clips (60+ sec.) and when you have a photo to go with the audio. NOTE: Use the Signal account, but check with the instructor first for the password.
• iMovie: Use this iPhone app to package audio with a photo. Embed it as a video in your piece.
• Headliner: This tool lets you create visual/audio cards for social or embedding.

Example IRL: Guelph Mercury closes (SoundCloud)

Infographics/presentations (for showing a workflow, list, explainer, etc.)

• Canva: Create visual cards from templates or from scratch. Check out the tutorials if you get stuck.
• Visme: Work from a template, but the free version allows only five projects in total and offers limited options.
• Piktochart: Similar to the first two, this tool offers infographic templates to work with or you can build from scratch. Download as PNG. NOTE: Only 10 templates come with the free version.
• PowerPoint or Google Slides: Embed a presentation in your story.

Examples IRL: Brexit: What happens now?, Actions speak louder than words, Swearing, by the stylebook (Easelly)

Reading: Designing Effective Infographics

Other tools and tips

Maybe you use other tools. Maybe you’ve come across something cool in your Google searches. Feel free to use it, but just make sure it gets the job done.

Here are a few other lists and resources to explore: Jeremy Caplan’s list, Journalist’s Toolbox

Credit: A big thank-you to Emily McRae for testing these tools!

Last Updated: November 7, 2020, 5:08 pm AST