I came across an interesting post today by Andrew DeVigal, who works at the New York Times, among other places.
He quotes an Indian saying about education:
“Tell me, and I will forget.
Show me, and I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand.”
He goes on to illustrate how the Times uses photos, graphics, videos and other media to augment their linear stories.
I particularly liked the conclusion of his piece. He envisions engagement and social media, mobile, physical spaces and games augmenting narratives:
“These sidebars are less about the story form and presentation/design and more about the experience and narrative flow. Imagine a written story or a video script written specifically to engage the reader/viewer in an interactive sidebar, or a sidebar that encourages a user to take a quiz, engage with an interactive graphic or offer their thoughts on Twitter or Facebook… or giving a reader/viewer a chance to go to a physical space and experience the story through an augmented reality presentation.”