Challenge: can I convince the class that a soundtrack might enhance their future journalism?

My Approach

In our last class I was really impressed with how you all approach problems, interrogate ideas and map out paths to a solution so clearly. I’m not a linear thinker. Here’s the proof – my plans for my year at MIT, scrawled back in August last year:

But inspired by the systems thinkers – I’ve tried to be more linear. And if anyone has suggestions for a clearer path, do please get in touch:

PATH 1 – WEEK 1

• Talk to a couple of DJs I met last semester who live-mix sound effects into tunes. Ask about sound apps/software, ideas, examples etc.
• Choose an already written news story that I can imagine a sound track to.
• Find free sound effect archives or sound sharing sites.
• Work out how to scrape sound from internet sites (Sound Cloud, You Tube etc).
• Work out how to edit this sound to fit the story.
• Work out how to most elegantly embed the sound on the story page (using Sound Cloud).
• Try it out on someone for feedback.
• Assess the workflow for improvements and questions.

PATH 2 – WEEK 2

• Write a story myself. (I’m currently writing about suicide, a serious subject that might not seem ideal material for a soundtrack, but because of that, I feel it actually offers an interesting challenge to the sound track idea.)
• Gather sound effects with microphone myself (try various microphones – cheap dictaphone, pro mic and smartphone)
• Edit sound track.
• Upload sound to story.
• Try it out on someone for feedback.
• Assess workflow.

Questions I’m asking myself:

What kind of stories would really benefit from sound?

How would a soundtrack change the kind of stories I might want to report on and how I write them?

How complicated are the tools I’m using, how could they be simplified?