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.
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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