Regina McCombs at Poynter posted this look at the effect that sound can have on a news video story. Watch the three clips below of her story -- for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune -- called "Mom Goes to War." The first has only natural sound. The second two have music loops that she took from the Apple program Garage Band.
Video after the jump.
Mom goes to war (natural sound only) from Poynter Institute on Vimeo.
Mom goes to war (upbeat) from Poynter Institute on Vimeo.
Mom goes to war (downbeat) from Poynter Institute on Vimeo.
In a news story, whether you choose to use music and what kind of music you choose can have a pretty significant impact on how the story comes across to viewers. Is this a story about the sadness of seeing a mom go off to war and the child she leaves behind, or is it a hopeful story about a woman living out her childhood dreams? The music helps decide.
Choosing music for a story is an editorial decision that's not to be taken lightly.
Michael Becker has been blogging about academia, digital culture and journalism since 2005. He is the Web editor of the
2 Comments
Great example of the power of audio. Thanks.
P.S. My personal preference is the first one, with natural sounds only. It seems like it is the least biased and most ethical choice. But I can also envision scenarios where using music might add a lot to a piece.