Visual Storytelling: Show, Not Tell? Show AND Tell

Abstract

Virtual reality, motion design, 360° photos: These are golden times for multimedia journalists. The new techniques enable everyone in possession of a smartphone to produce impressive visual stories, while the costs are steadily sinking. The question for editors around the world is: What makes my medium stand out in this landscape of emerging visual storytellers? What are my landmarks? And how do readers and users really consume these stories? The following chapter is an insight into the production of “Weitwinkel”, the weekly Visual Story of DER SPIEGEL. Starting in December 2015, “Weitwinkel” has become very popular among the SPIEGEL audience—be it in the digital edition or online— and the experience and lessons from the first year add up to a code of practice for multimedia journalists: An essay in the form of eight tips (number 7 will surprise you most).