MSNBCs Big Picture

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MSNBCs Big Picture

• Michael SilbermanDeputy Editor, East Coast

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Why Big Picture?

• Immersive, narrative-based, interactive
  story-telling
• Engage the user
• Create new story-telling forms
• Encourage internal creative thinking
• An evolution from earlier narrative forms

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Key Attributes

• Control
• Depth
• Introspection/Interaction
• Community
• Comprehension

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• Control
• Clear, exposed navigation divides the content
  into smaller topics
• Viewers can skip to portions of interest and/or
  replay parts
• Tips
• Use as a standard feature of any interactive
  story
• Try text that looks clickable (underlined)
• Add recognizable visual cues some people
  remember icons or images better than words
• Examples
• Big Picture left-side rundown http//www.msnbc.co
  m/modules/bigpicture/iraq/
• Driving vacations http//www.msnbc.com/modules/su
  mmer_driving/decades/
• Darkest Day http//www.msnbc.com/modules/wtc_terr
  or_experience/

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• Depth
• Saves presentation space
• Puts context directly where it is most relevant
• Tips
• Opt-out where the presentation stops until the
  user makes a choice
• Exposes additional information
• Disrupts story line
• Opt-in asking follow-up questions or pausing to
  launch a slideshow
• Provides a smooth transition to more information
• Easily missed
• Supplemental such as factoids appearing in
  sequence with video
• Provides clarification
• Can be distracting
• Examples
• Big Picture http//www.msnbc.com/modules/bigpictu
  re/iraq/
• Driving vacations http//www.msnbc.com/modules/su
  mmer_driving/decades/

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• Introspection
• Directly challenge the audience to think about an
  issue
• Voting/polling prompts people to express
  themselves
• Tips
• Placement driven by purpose
• Consider the facts first? Put it at the end.
• Disprove the viewers notions? Put it at the
  beginning.
• Taking the audiences pulse? It becomes the
  segment.
• Dissect an issue into many smaller points
  requiring yes, no, and unsure
• Broad vote topics elicit more gut reaction
• Decide whether to show the results before, during
  or after a vote
• Consider the impact results will have on the
  viewer
• Examples
• Big Picture Iraq http//www.msnbc.com/modules/big
  picture/iraq/
• Big Picture Election http//www.msnbc.com/modules
  /bigpicture/elex/

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• Community
• Connects viewers with the story
• Audience is part of the presentation by leaving
  their mark or interacting with each other
• Tips
• Include a write-us and e-mail this button
  somewhere thats clearly visible during the
  entire presentation
• Read viewer e-mail
• Consider soliciting viewer opinions and then
  using them in the piece
• Examples
• Big Picture Iraq http//www.msnbc.com/modules/big
  picture/iraq/
• StrikeOut! http//www.msnbc.com/modules/sports/pit
  chinggame/

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• Comprehension
• The active, involved viewer is more likely to
  retain information than the passive viewer
• Active listening, reading and making
  connections
• Tips
• With complicated issues, emphasize key phrases
  with text in synch with audio
• Add third-party analysis where appropriate to
  give the viewer perspective
• Break up audio tracks with short pauses, sound
  bites or sound effects
• Ask viewers to perform tasks that teach
• Examples
• Enron 101 http//www.msnbc.com/modules/enron/
• Conflict with Iraq http//www.msnbc.com/modules/i
  raqmain/
• Baggage screener http//www.msnbc.com/modules/air
  port_security/screener/

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Our Latest Effort Oscars v2

• Intro on the launch page
• Multiple entry points
• Larger window size
• Re-order playlist
• Related info box (persistent vs. transient)
• Hide option
• Eliminated save for later

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User Engagement time spent
11
User Engagement segments viewed
48 stayed through the ad
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User Engagement time in segment
13
Entry points
52
29
11
8
14
Segment popularity
Interaction
Popularity
1
0
10
4
3
11
20
2
5
9
7
8
6
4
9
5
8
11
15
Used playlist 52Changed order 15
Sentcomment lt 1
Used hidefor guide 24
Used related info 14
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Try it out yourself

• http//bigpicture.msnbc.com