Multimedia Writing -- Explore the Basics
 

1 Explore the Basics
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For writers, multimedia is unique.
Print -- Words are seen but not heard.
Broadcast -- Words are heard but seldom seen (secondary to visuals)
.
Multimedia -- Words are seen and heard.

Multimedia terminology differs from print terminology.
A writer is often called a content provider.
An editor is often called a project manager or producer.

A multimedia writer's job differs from a print writer's job.

  • The written content may be the last element considered rather than the first.
  • A content provider may have limited training as a writer.
  • A content provider may work on teams, while many print writers work independently.
  • Print production involves working with graphic artists and print production specialists, but multimedia production involves working with Webmasters, site designers, producers, project managers, and/or programmers. It is a less hierarchical system.
  • A print writer may need to know a word processing program, but a multimedia writer may also need to have a working knowledge of design, coding, and content management systems.
© 2005 Pearson Prentice Hall
Author Contact

 

 1  Activities
Which of these two webpages looks more "print-oriented?" Why?

Write Right: Polishing Your E-Learning Prose

Special Feature on Instructional Design


Helpful link: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for March 15, 1997:
Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web)

Read Chapter Three: Traditional Writing vs. Multimedia Writing

“Speak properly,and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.”
--William Penn