Dipity.com Dipity Blog

On April 12, the Seattle Times was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of the Lakewood, Washington police shootings and the 40-hour manhunt that followed. The paper supplemented traditional news coverage by experimenting with some of the most popular digital tools online, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Wave and Dipity.

The Seattle Times utilized Dipity’s customizable embed feature to offer a visual map view and timeline view of events leading up to and following the shooting. By doing so, visitors could explore the full range of coverage in real time, including articles, photos and videos, in their chronological and geographical context.

It was the eighth Pulitzer Prize in the publication’s 114-year history and the first since 2007. Since their last Pulitzer, the Seattle Times has faced a falling budget, debt restructuring and a 40 percent decrease in newsroom size.

Despite the setbacks, the newspaper’s staff reaffirmed the quality of the publication with quick research, compelling content and comprehensive journalism. The Seattle Times also put on display their willingness to adapt and evolve to the changing profile of their readers.

Online, interactive media tools such as Dipity timelines can help print publications offset falling budgets and understaffed newsrooms. In 2009, newspaper revenues fell to the lowest levels since 1986, down 27% in a year to $27.6 Billion.[1]

As newspapers look to evolve instead of shutting down the presses, many turn to the Internet to bolster both revenue and readership. By offering supplemental tools and coverage such as timelines, newspapers can drive viewers to their websites and keep them engaged longer. Media outlets can monetize this traffic: more users, more time spent and more clicks mean more revenue.

As Dipity is just one of the many supplemental tools publishers can use to attract internet-savvy readers, we feel privileged to be part of Seattle Times award winning coverage. Heartfelt congratulations on your Pulitzer Prize and thank you for mentioning Dipity in your article!

To read more about Seattle Times coverage of the shootings, click here.

To see how Seattle Times used Dipity to supplement their coverage, click here.

Learn how Dipity can increase user engagement on your site, click here.