storytelling
The Future of Video Issue 1
from the editor
HELLO THERE, READER! It's true that over the past few years how the public consumes content has changed in drastic ways. This in part, is due to the fact that new social media sites keep popping up. Even with the rise of Facebook and Instagram, no social media app has grown quicker than Tik Tok. In this issue I'll be exploring how online video is changing and how Tik Tok is one of the sole reasons for that change.
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF @_CAROL_WRIGHT
1
Why is mobile/web video important for storytelling? Writing by Carol WrightÂ
Through the years storytelling has been one of the most vital ways to spread information and that goes all the way back to when cave man roamed the earth. As the years have gone on storytelling has had to evolve as technology has advanced and part of that has been the transition to create mobile and web based video. One of the most important aspects of telling stories through mobile and web video is the fact that more people can access those stories. For example, newspapers and publications have to make money to sustain themselves, this usually results in people having to subscribe or pay to read an article. Subscriptions are often quite expensive and when someone does not want to subscribe they often run into a paywall that stops them from reading the available articles. When it comes to video this problem occurs less and less. Sites such as Youtube allow people to watch free videos all day and social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok only need one quick login and you can watch free content there as well. With this quick and easy access people from all over the world can access stories and learn new things. Another aspect of mobile and web video that is important is the fact that along with giving more access, web videos are simpler and can make it easier for people of all backgrounds to access stories. In general, due to where people stand economically or where people stand academically, obviously not everyone has the same reading levels or reading ability. There are language barriers and things of that nature as well. When there is video online, more often than not that means a subject is being broken down into simpler terms which allows for someone who may not be able to read or follow along as well and get the gist of a story. Also, the visual aid of a story is helpful in and of itself because at times it is easier for people to see something and understand it verses read something and understand it. Lastly, video allows for people with disabilities to understand a story better through subtitles or large text on screen. Lastly, mobile and web video is important for the way society is changing. People are developing shorter attention spans and one of the negative side effects of this is the fact that people are not reading the news because it takes too long for them to get through. When you introduce video into the equation that allows for people to get their news quickly and continue to stay informed. This is part of the reason that newspapers like the Washington Post have joined Tik Tok and other platforms. Quick and snappy video is the new way people want to consume content and if important information can be broken down in that way then more people will be aware of what's happening.
2