NPR is considered by many to be one of the final bastions of honest journalism in the U.S.A. One of the things that keeps them going is the correct use of multimedia facets in their articles. As an example, the article "Food As Punishment" discreetly uses differing forms of media.
The web page is setup with the sound file of the radio version of the story as a clickable link at the top of the page. Readers can choose to listen to this audio bite, which is just over four and a half minutes in length, or choose to scroll down and read the story on the page. The story is NOT a carbon copy of what is said in the radio program, though it shares many similarities, such as quotes from Sheriff Clarke on why food loaf makes for a good deterrent in prisons.
Between the audio link and the typed story, there is an artistic interpretation to represent the article. It is a cartoony depiction of a prisoner turning from some food concoction in disgust. A rat inhabiting the same cell is also cringing away from the mystery substance.
Unfortunately, while all of these story formats are well made, they are clearly separate entities. There is no smooth transition between them, and they do not complement each other, as should be done in a good piece of multimedia journalism. They are merely there to provide options; options that come off as redundant. The art piece is merely thrown in to add character and avoid having a bland article page. After all, a common rule of thumb in journalism is to have pictures for your stories.
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