Comments on: Telling the most important story in Oakland http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/ The future of news. And more. No funny stuff. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:22:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: angela http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5268 angela Thu, 08 Mar 2007 03:13:54 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5268 After reading this, <a href="http://angelagrant.blogspot.com/2007/03/at-least-they-improved-idea.html" rel="nofollow">I amended the post I had written</a> about it on my blog. After reading this, I amended the post I had written about it on my blog.

]]> By: sean connelley http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5260 sean connelley Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:22:16 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5260 I want to say thanks to all of you and Ryan for bringing attention to our project Not Just A Number. This project was born from a lot of hard work by my partner (Katy Newton) and I that began back in August of 2006. This project also would not of been what it is without the tiresome work of a few key individuals at the Oakland Tribune. We wanted to create a place for the community and the Tribune to come together and talk about this issue of violence. A lot of this is what I would call a big experiment for us. We have never tried something like this before and will of course make some mistakes along the way. We wanted to point out some facts but at the same time we wanted to show the stories of change and positivity from the community, that is the reason for the community voices page. What's going on in Oakland is complex and deep rooted. There are no simple solutions but I believe there is a great history in Oakland that will help power the way to change. I agree with Ryan that were not doing anything original but were just doing something and that makes me happy. Also seeing the support we're getting from the community makes me feel like it is sorta working. We listened to the community as we were building this project and made many changes to it along the way to reflect their needs & wants. Quick side note for those of you interested in data visualization and it actually applies to Oakland. check out: http://mike.teczno.com/notes/oakland-crime-maps/IV.html Way over my head but a fascinating read. This guys works for Stamen Design( http://stamen.com/), which specializes in data visualization. So my point is: One - cool stuff & two- nothing original done by us. Lastly, I just want to touch briefly on Angela's comment. When we saw the Chronicles piece launch in Dec. my jaw dropped. I thought wow that's just like ours. But in the end I believe this to be a case of working in such a small journalism community that being the Bay Area. There is going to be overlap. I stand behind our work and vision and will take any questions regarding our integrity. And in the end, the more people doing stories on this topic the better. We did this for the community and I think the results reflect it. Thanks for your time -- I want to say thanks to all of you and Ryan for bringing attention to our project Not Just A Number. This project was born from a lot of hard work by my partner (Katy Newton) and I that began back in August of 2006. This project also would not of been what it is without the tiresome work of a few key individuals at the Oakland Tribune.

We wanted to create a place for the community and the Tribune to come together and talk about this issue of violence. A lot of this is what I would call a big experiment for us. We have never tried something like this before and will of course make some mistakes along the way.

We wanted to point out some facts but at the same time we wanted to show the stories of change and positivity from the community, that is the reason for the community voices page. What’s going on in Oakland is complex and deep rooted. There are no simple solutions but I believe there is a great history in Oakland that will help power the way to change.

I agree with Ryan that were not doing anything original but were just doing something and that makes me happy. Also seeing the support we’re getting from the community makes me feel like it is sorta working. We listened to the community as we were building this project and made many changes to it along the way to reflect their needs & wants.

Quick side note for those of you interested in data visualization and it actually applies to Oakland. check out: http://mike.teczno.com/notes/oakland-crime-maps/IV.html
Way over my head but a fascinating read. This guys works for Stamen Design( http://stamen.com/), which specializes in data visualization. So my point is: One – cool stuff & two- nothing original done by us.

Lastly, I just want to touch briefly on Angela’s comment. When we saw the Chronicles piece launch in Dec. my jaw dropped. I thought wow that’s just like ours. But in the end I believe this to be a case of working in such a small journalism community that being the Bay Area. There is going to be overlap. I stand behind our work and vision and will take any questions regarding our integrity. And in the end, the more people doing stories on this topic the better.

We did this for the community and I think the results reflect it.

Thanks for your time –

]]> By: Invisible Inkling » Building a multimedia package from the ground up in Oakland http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5259 Invisible Inkling » Building a multimedia package from the ground up in Oakland Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:53:44 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5259 [...] Katy Newton, two of the journalists behind the Oakland Tribune’s Not Just A Number package I wrote about yesterday, were kind enough to take a few minutes of their time today to answer a few questions [...] [...] Katy Newton, two of the journalists behind the Oakland Tribune’s Not Just A Number package I wrote about yesterday, were kind enough to take a few minutes of their time today to answer a few questions [...]

]]> By: angela http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5257 angela Wed, 07 Mar 2007 01:01:04 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5257 Just saying. I do agree that the Tribune one is better. Just saying. I do agree that the Tribune one is better.

]]> By: Ryan http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5248 Ryan Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:27:50 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5248 Damn, somebody should get you a business card that says "Angela Grant, Skeptic." The SFGate piece also starts with the numbers, but it's just dots on a map, a print graphic dumped online. The dots don't tell stories, and the whole point of the Oakland piece is to get behind the numbers and tell the stories of the people affected by murder. That said, there hasn't been anything original about a homicide map since Chicago Crime, but there doesn't have to be. It's a great way to illustrate the numbers and inform people. Every paper in a city with, well, enough homicides to make it logical should have one. Damn, somebody should get you a business card that says “Angela Grant, Skeptic.”

The SFGate piece also starts with the numbers, but it’s just dots on a map, a print graphic dumped online.

The dots don’t tell stories, and the whole point of the Oakland piece is to get behind the numbers and tell the stories of the people affected by murder.

That said, there hasn’t been anything original about a homicide map since Chicago Crime, but there doesn’t have to be.

It’s a great way to illustrate the numbers and inform people. Every paper in a city with, well, enough homicides to make it logical should have one.

]]> By: angela http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5247 angela Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:17:43 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5247 That's a really amazing way to deliver the information. It is eerily similar to the information in this <a href="http://sfgate.com/oaklandhomicides/" rel="nofollow">SFGate package about Oakland homicides</a>, originally published in December. But I think the insidebayarea one is more aesthetically pleasing, and the chance for reader interaction is above and beyond. Still ... Did they swipe the idea? That’s a really amazing way to deliver the information. It is eerily similar to the information in this SFGate package about Oakland homicides, originally published in December. But I think the insidebayarea one is more aesthetically pleasing, and the chance for reader interaction is above and beyond. Still … Did they swipe the idea?

]]> By: Ryan http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5240 Ryan Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:48:53 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5240 Nice catch Matt -- 49th Parallel is Sean Connelly and Katy Newton. I've gotta check my work e-mail in the morning for a better explanation, but Sean works at the Tribune as a photog, or web producer, or both. I'll try and get some combination of people to answer some questions in an e-mail interview this week. Nice catch Matt — 49th Parallel is Sean Connelly and Katy Newton. I’ve gotta check my work e-mail in the morning for a better explanation, but Sean works at the Tribune as a photog, or web producer, or both. I’ll try and get some combination of people to answer some questions in an e-mail interview this week.

]]> By: Matt Waite http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5232 Matt Waite Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:23:47 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5232 After the intro, if you look on the bottom left hand side of the page, in tiny type, you'll see Copyright 49th Parallel Productions. Some kind of outside design house? Still impressive as all hell, I'm just wondering how much of the paper's resources went into this. After the intro, if you look on the bottom left hand side of the page, in tiny type, you’ll see Copyright 49th Parallel Productions. Some kind of outside design house? Still impressive as all hell, I’m just wondering how much of the paper’s resources went into this.

]]> By: Michael Bazeley http://ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/comment-page-1/#comment-5228 Michael Bazeley Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:50:54 +0000 http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/03/05/telling-the-most-important-story-in-oakland/#comment-5228 As far as how it was promoted in print, it was the dominant "story'' on the Sunday Trib cover, taking up most, if not all, of the area above the fold. Below the fold was a reader note explaining the project. Community participation is the big open question in my mind. As far as how it was promoted in print, it was the dominant “story” on the Sunday Trib cover, taking up most, if not all, of the area above the fold. Below the fold was a reader note explaining the project.

Community participation is the big open question in my mind.

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