Short Writing Forms on the Web
Compiled by Jacqueline Marino, Assistant Professor, Kent State University January 10, 2009
The Short Profile Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Sobering Reminders” This is an interactive map for the newspaper‟s impressive series on drinking in Wisconsin. It features short profiles of people killed by drunk drivers in every county.
The Personal Approach WireTap Magazine “Stargazing in Kabul: 10 Days in the life and struggles of a young Afghan Woman” “Free Wheels: The Scraper Bike Movement Rolls This progressive youth magazine welcomes submissions about subjects of interest to young people, including war, racial justice and lifestyle issues. The editors publish journalism of all kinds, including interviews and op-eds, and they encourage writers to “explain to our readers how your experiences illustrate a current issue or reflect challenges faced by young people across the country.”
The First-Person Sidebar CNN.com “Reporter recalls „eerie‟ but calm night with King‟s widow, children” This is one part of CNN‟s “Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination,” which contains many sidebars to augment its report. One features a reporter‟s account of watching the news with King‟s widow and children on the day he was killed. The Historical Sidebar LasVegasSun.com, “Boomtown” From the history of its famous figures – Liberace, Elvis, showgirls, mobsters – to that of its fires and weddings, this primer on Sin City is unrivaled in depth and readability. (Thirty-three staffers contributed.) Its homepage boasts a “by the numbers” table of contents, which can link you to stories about 80 hotels, 16 personalities and events and a number of videos, interactive maps, audio and panoramas. This is an everything-but-thekitchen sink approach to content, and the quality of the writing varies. Much of it contains good, readable stuff with anecdotal ledes and lots of research.
The Short Narrative Yahoo! News, “The Hot Zone” An oldie but goodie. Kevin Sites traveled to every war zone in the world in 2006 and reported on it in a multimedia way. His short features often focus on one person, so you can see the war through his or her eyes.
Creative Forms Poetry “Hope: Living and Loving with AIDS in Jamaica” Diary “Days with my Father” Haiku “Video Haiku: The Campaign in Moments” Comics “Seventy Years of Superman”