Blog
Video should be natural evolution for newspapers
- By: ASNE staff
- On: 09/16/2014 23:40:14
- In: Convention
By Sydney Lawson
Columbia College Chicago
In the journalism world, an immediate deadline is often the norm, but A.J Chavar, a video journalist for The New York Times likes to take his time with his work.
In the journalism world, an immediate deadline is often the norm, but A.J Chavar, a video journalist for The New York Times likes to take his time with his work.
Chavar, 27, has endured sleepless nights editing video so his work lands on the paper's website homepage the following morning, but he wants people to know video should not be an afterthought when it comes to storytelling.
Chavar believes video should be a natural evolution for newspapers. Unlike print or
radio, it gives the audience a visceral experience through the power of sight and sound, and the nature of the platform makes it more shareable. Video also relies heavily on good writing, he said, and reporters need to know when it is appropriate to use.
Chavar presented one of his most controversial videos, which covers both the Democratic and Republican national conventions of 2012. The film uses a split screen of the activities, interactions and speeches from both conventions to compare the two parties.
“Good video really takes time,” Chavar said. “Video needs to be germane to the original thought process."