barry bonds and bill walsh coverage at the mercury news

Game-planning for big news events

Nine tips from the Mercury News

Kevin Wendt, AMEJonathon Berlin, senior editor

SND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007

Put the plan in planned news event

1st inning


Realized at home run 754we needed a better plan


Bonds plan:Budget of stories, graphics

Photo planned and tested remotesGraphics dove in early

Plan for spaceTime given for predesign

Became much more focused as event closed in


Walsh plan:Budget of stories for special section

Graphics and interactives worked ahead of timePhotos edited ahead of timeDesign done ahead of time

Edited hard up until deadline


Pre-design

2nd inning

Barry Bonds 755


Wanted every element to add information


Pre-design:Graphics and breakouts started earlyWanted every element to add value

Worked with photo up frontEdited early drafts of main elementsWere willing to change on deadline


Deadilne design

3rd inning

Barry Bonds 756


Deadline design:Brought in extra help, design & editing

Divided up dutiesEdited until the last possible moment

Stopped ourselves throughoutto push harder


Pre-design and deadline design

4th inning

Bill Walsh


Pre and deadline design:Modified our plan to fit the news

Pushed hard to add polish and flairTook advantage of work we’d done


The done-in-advance special section

5th inning

Bill Walsh

s



Done-in-advance special section:Gave graphics and design enough time to get it done

Scheduled time on back end to tweakTook care in booking the section, creating a feelTook care in editing things so they fit together


Deadline section:pick your spots

6th inning

Bonds 756


On-deadline special section:Pushed aggressively for the best idea

Built on a plan already in placeUsed new and old content to our best ability

Tried to capture the momentFigured out how to get the work done


Graphics: all about working ahead

7th inning

Bonds and Walsh

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Staff research

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Clerk kept track of all HR’s

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007At-bat info from Youtube.


HR info from www.baseball-reference.com

http://www.baseball-reference.com





Graphics:Planned specific graphics in advance

Did research and verified sources in advanceTweaked and edited up until deadline


8th inning

Interactives: Also about working ahead

Bonds and Walsh

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Created an experience.

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Podcast plus pix plus graphics

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Multimedia all the way.


Interactives:Planned (most of ) them from the start

Allocated info-gathering timeAllocated programming time


Priority: great use of photography

9th inning

Bonds and Walsh

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Less than a minute with Walsh

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Great find from the archives.

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Tilt-shift technique.

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Creative remote.

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Playing with placement and size.

Kevin Wendt, AME | Jonathon Berlin, senior editorSND QUICK COURSE | FRESNO, SEPT. 15, 2007Space and time for the “closer” image


Photography:Design, graphics and photo

communicated from the startLooked for ways to capture the moment

Ripped up pages multiple times to get it rightSmart use of archive images

Gave space for photos

Gameover

Any?’s

barry bonds and bill walsh coverage at the mercury news

Travel

ame jonathon berlin

deadline kevin wendt

amejonathon berlin

deadlinekevin wendt

harderkevin wendt

togetherkevin wendt

informationkevin wendt

planned news event kevin