Multimedia Storytelling For Murder Trial

Reporters on two newspapers are deploying multimedia tools to keep readers informed about an ongoing multiple murder case.

The Evening Star and East Anglian Daily Times are using both print and online operations in collaboration in order to provide comprehensive coverage of the trial of Steve Wright.

Holdthefrontpage.co.uk reports that journalists on both titles, who work out of the same office, are using the web as the focus for live news updates from Ipswich Crown Court.

In addition, the innovative shared content offers a history of the case, provides profiles of the five murdered women and has an interactive map showing the sites where the bodies were found and other key locations in the trial.

Web editor James Goffin said of the court coverage: “We had four reporters there - two actually in court and two manning our one seat in a special room with a video relay.”

He added “We’ve got a laptop with a mobile connection so they can send copy straight from court to the website.”

Goffin concluded: “Some of the online content will differ from print, some will remain on our website throughout the trial and the newspaper will rely on day-to-day coverage.

“There are no barriers between print and web in our operations.”