Will Apple’s iBooks Author open the door for a new form of journalism?

As a journalism instructor, it’s iBooks Author that has me most intrigued…because it’s not just for textbooks, and not just for textbook publishers. It is a fantastic tool for communications professionals, including journalists.

Let me cut to the chase: I think iBooks Author could be the platform for a whole new form of rich-media, long-form journalism.

We now have, for free, a tool that lets us tell stories and present stories that combine all the interactivity and engagement we could dream of.

In a single tool, I can combine what would have been done via video clips, feature stories, podcasts, photo essays, study guides and polls.

It’s a platform that encourages readers to touch, listen to, watch, engage with and learn from your story.

Right now, newspapers and magazines should be figuring out how to turn their best long-form work into iBooks. They should be considering doing iBook-only special projects. And, you can bet my journalism students at Western are going to be all over this when my online journalism class starts next month.

via Wayne MacPhail

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