"Bearing Witness" to an Award-Winning Multimedia News Site

After looking at the Web sites of the Online Journalism Award winners, I observed that the incorporation of multimedia is key to creating a successful news site. Reuters’ online feature “Bearing Witness” is one such site; it was named the best news site for a Multimedia Feature on a large site. The site tells the story of the Iraq War through testimonials from Reuters reporters, photographers, and other staff using photos, audio and video.

I find using multimedia elements is more effective in creating an emotional impact on viewers (specifically myself) than simple text. Not only do photos, audio and video on the site spotlight journalists who were on the ground, they also depict war photos and footage that bring their personal stories to life and make them much more compelling than they would be in textual form.


Other features such as a comprehensive timeline and maps provide further understanding of the war for those who would like to know more.