#SFbatkid – Multiplatform Coverage of San Francisco Bat Kid Story

Questions for discussion

• How do you prepare? What elements were pre-produced?
• What format works best for each platform? What didn’t work?
• What was your favorite story and why?
• How did the elements vary depending on the outlet?
• How many people do you think went into producing each story?
• Is Make-a-Wish’s story journalism?
• How does timeliness and deadlines impact elements and coverage?
• How does social media impact coverage?
• How do you make your story standout when every outlet in town is coveringthe same story?
• Discuss challenges:o Making East Coast deadlines when covering a West Coast story
• o Covering a story with lots of media, crowds and numerous locations o What to do when covering a busy event, with streets shut down, etc. o How to balance deadlines with quality

Links to coverage

• NBC News, Joe Fryer—http://www.today.com/parents/holy-batkid-5-year-old-cancer-patients-wish-comes-true-2D11603304
• San Francisco Chronicle—#SFBatKid video: https://vimeo.com/79541124
• Collection of stories, including text: http://www.sfgate.com/batkid/
• ABC News—http://abcnews.go.com/US/batkids-make-transformed-san-francisco-gotham/story?id=20899254
• ABC News—TWEETS: http://liveblog.abcnews.go.com/Event/LIVE_UPDATES_Batkids_Make-a-Wish_Transforms_San_Francisco_Into_Gotham?Page=0
• ABC Digital News Brief—VIDEO, PHONER & live report: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/batkid-saves-san-francisco-turned-gotham-city-20904112
• ABC NEWS—VIDEO PKG for ABC World News: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/san-francisco-siege-making-bat-call-cry-bat-20906860
• ABC NIGHTLINE—http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/batkid-saves-gotham-city-thousands-cheers-20908458
  • Make-A-Wish—released 3 months after: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw3aWPxtpfE
• YouTube—(cops getting in the way**) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wAqHWcSCXI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1wAqHWcSCXI&app=desktop
• STORIFY—http://storify.com/KQED/batkid-saves-san-francisco

Bethany Swain * @bethanysstories * www.BethanySwain.net * University of Maryland