By: Pauline Millard Every person in a newsroom has their own interests and pet projects. It's these passions that can transform into great multimedia packages, if time and effort can be invested into them, much like The Wisconsin State Journal recently did with their project about hip-hop.
Earlier this year the paper put together one of the coolest multimedia projects that I've seen in a while.
Hip-Hop 101 explores different aspects and the history of hip hop, from the perspective of Madison, Wisconsin.
True, Madison is hardly an epicenter of hip-hop, but the music has broad appeal. The crew at the State Journal focused their project on the local level. They interviewed local DJs, graffiti artists, break dancers and MCs. The best part is that the project is mostly a series of incredibly well edited videos, which makes understanding the different facets a million times easier. The site's interface is also extremely well designed, like an old-school album cover.
One of my favorite parts of the project was the DJ game, in which users can try their hand at mixing and scratching beats.
Music writing is one of the many areas of journalism that has really benefited from the web. There is no way this project would have been as effective if it had been done solely in print. True, the State Journal probably had to invest in some programmers and video editors, but the outcome was well worth it.
Here are some of my past Picks:
SFGate.com Makes Map Of
Bay Area Oil Spill The 'Statesman Journal' Looks At
Invasive Species In Oregon'The Charlotte Observer' Examines
Home Foreclosures
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