NHPR's multimedia news strategy is simple: we endeavor to create content that is timely and of use to our audience, and to ensure that our digital-first sensibility is guided by the user, first and foremost.
And this strategy is working. In 2018, NHPR saw record digital and on-demand audience growth and engaged more deeply with our audience on digital platforms than ever before.
2018 gave us many opportunities to expand our reporting online (and in many cases, to report first - or only - online) and to consider which audio stories should take the form of longer-form podcast narratives or should be supplemented with digital content, such as case timeline infographics and videos for the Bear Brook podcast, and downloadable classroom materials for teachers using our Civics 101 podcast as a teaching tool. (Links to those are below.)
In addition, we took on the challenge of finding new ways to show off what we do on the radio every day, producing high-quality livestream video for radio programs, candidate forums, and planned news events, creating infographics, data maps, and supplemental produced videos, and using online tools to engage with our audience directly, something that informed our reporting throughout the year.
We also savored opportunities to use digital media to pull back the curtain on our journalism, creating social posts and videos about how we do our work and helping our audience put faces to the voices they hear on the radio every day.
Here are some examples of NHPR's multimedia work:
Digital-First Stories
- N.H. Legislators Look to Lobbyists for Reliable Source of Re-Election Cash
- How One Small Policy Tweak Opened The Bootlegging Floodgates In N.H.
- No-Show N.H. Lawmakers: Explore The Data and See Where Your State Rep Stands
- Voter Fraud in New Hampshire: Rhetoric Versus Reality
- N.H. Lawsuits Are Piling Up Against Opioid Manufacturers. Here's What You Need to Know.
- Veteran N.H. Lawmaker Accused of Creating 'Intimidating and Abusive' Environment in State House
- Independent Spending in N.H. Midterm Races Boosted Sununu, Down-Ballot Democrats
Digital-First Multimedia Series
- Only in New Hampshire
- Taking a Toll: Opioids and NH's Youngest Generation
- New Hampshire Firsts
- Radio Field Trips
- Crossroad: The NH Opioid Reporting Project
- Race For the First
Podcast Digital Content
Bear Brook
Click here to see the Bear Brook podcast website, which includes episodes, episode transcripts for accessibility, original photography, videos, case timelines, the podcast soundtrack and more.
Bear Brook is also on Facebook and Twitter, and engages with listeners through a robust e-newsletter which provides updates on the case.
Downloaded nearly four million times as of this entry, Bear Brook tells the story of a cold case investigation that's changing the way murders will be solved forever.
Outside/In
Click here to see the Outside/In website, which includes podcast episodes, episode transcripts for accessibility, original photography and more.
Outside/In engages with fans through Facebook (group and page), Twitter, Instagram, and a robust e-newsletter.
Outside/In is a show about the natural world and how we use it. Sam Evans-Brown combines solid reporting and long-form narrative storytelling to bring the outdoors to you wherever you are.
You don’t have to be a whitewater kayaker, an obsessive composter, or a conservation biologist to love Outside/In. It’s a show for anyone who has ever been outdoors. In short, it’s a show for *almost* everyone.
Civics 101
Click here to see the Civics 101 website, which includes podcast episodes, education materials for the classroom, a module to submit questions, and more.
Why does the U.S. have an Electoral College? How do congressional investigations work? What does the minority whip actually do? Civics 101 is the podcast and digital refresher course designed for the classroom (and everyone else!) on the basics of how our democracy works.
Photography
NHPR's reporters aren't radio reporters, they are multi-media reporters, which means they frequently take high-quality, original photos to accompany their stories. In addition, NHPR engages with photojournalists to enable us to illustrate our stories - particularly our planned and political coverage and live journalism events - with original photography.
Click here to see some of NHPR's best original photography from 2018 on Flickr.
Video
NHPR regularly creates live and produced video for social media. podcasts, and new stories. Click here to see more examples on NHPR's YouTube Channel and Facebook page:
Here are some featured videos from 2018:
The Exchange: Weekly News Roundup weekly livestream (streamed live on Facebook):
Election 2018: Candidate forums and interviews:
Podcast videos:
Click here to see all of the videos produced for Bear Brook.
Audience Engagement
Social Media
NHPR and its programs and podcasts maintain a robust social media presence. Click the links to see NHPR's main Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Instagram.
Engagement-Driven Journalism
- The Balance Series - News series powered by Hearken
- Radio Field Trips - Series powered by listener submissions
- Civics 101 - A podcast powered by listener questions focused on the basics of our democracy. In March 2018, Civics 101 kicked off its inaugural student contest. Students from around the country submitted mp3s detailing how they would cover an aspect of the U.S. government. Adia Samba-Quee, a sophomore at Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield, Massachusetts, was selected winner and worked with the Civics 101 production team on her submission, a radio drama about the Constitutional Convention. Adia’s production, Unconventional, was published on July 3, 2018.
- Only in NH - A collaboration between the Word of Mouth program and NHPR News, this series is powered by listener questions submitted through Hearken
- Candidate forums - NHPR regularly uses Hearken to solicit listener questions to pose to elected officials and candidates for office
2018 Election Coverage & Voter Resources
- N.H. Voter's Guide: What You Need To Know Before Heading To The Polls
- Some Latinos Are Excited To Vote In The Midterms, But Finding Information In Spanish Is Tough
- Spanish language version: Latinos Quieren Votar, Pero Encontrar La Informacion Correcta, Y En Español, Puede Ser Dificil
- Election day live blog