The BBC Berkshire’s interactive flood map:
takes the best photos and video sent in by you to berkshire.online@bbc.co.uk, alongside reports from our correspondents around the county and flood warning information from the Environment Agency.
This is a good example of how traditional media organizations — working with their audiences — can use mashup technology to create new kinds of journalism.
on Jul 26th, 2007 at 3:16 am
Just to note that Sky News did a very similar map (on a slightly larger scale) using their installation of our Puffbox Newsmap application. Exactly the same principle, albeit with a bit more customisation. And inevitably for a commercial organisation, some ads round the outside. Not something the BBC has to worry about, of course.
Well done to them for using the built-in ‘My Maps’ function, though. I’m guessing that was someone who really didn’t know the technology at all, but knew how to work the interface.
on Jul 26th, 2007 at 9:55 am
These are nice things to have, and it’s a testament to how new technology can enhance these stories, but I questions whether this is really new.
Brit papers have been publishing reports, printing maps etc. alongside reader comments for decades, and especially during crises of these kinds. The local papers have been particularly good at that.
What the Web technologies provide is a way to do that in a far faster and more interesting way, and thanks for that. But it’s not a new concept. Far from it.