MIT Documentary Lab

The wisdom and experience of journalists and documentarians in the interactive domain offer ways to achieve new levels of journalistic excellence and impact, according to a report by the MIT Open Documentary Lab. The MacArthur-supported report summarizes an eight-month research project that mapped and assessed the growing convergence between interactive and participatory documentary practices and digital journalism, with case studies drawn from The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, Frontline, and other organizations. The report makes several recommendations for documentary filmmakers and journalists: let the story define the storytelling form, collaborate more between disciplines, and think first about user experience when planning a project.