14 Best Tools For Multimedia Journalism For Journalists

Are you looking for the best tools for multimedia journalism? Discover what you need to enhance your multimedia journalism skills.

Writing a journalistic piece using different media elements can be a significant challenge. Many journalists are asked to create articles that include statistics, graphs, charts, images, video clips, and written pieces. Creating and sourcing each element of your article can be tricky, but using the right tools can help with this challenging task. Not only can sourcing the correct tools help you create media elements, but some tools can also help you when compiling each element into one cohesive piece.

So what are some of the top tools you should use? Before deciding, you must consider each option’s features, benefits, drawbacks, and use cases.

1. ThingLink

Price: Varies by the plan
Best for: Those who bounce around their information a lot

Price: Varies by the plan
Best for: Those who bounce around their information a lot

Price: Varies by the plan
Best for: Those who bounce around their information a lot

ThingLink

Do you have multiple audio, video, or text clips that link to each other? If so, then ThingLink could be helpful. This is an image annotation tool. You can place markers on your images, and when you click them, you can play or display various audio, video, and text clips. It is effortless to use, and it is a versatile option.

You might also find our round-up of the best books on investigative journalism helpful.

Pros
  • Multiple pricing options that you can customize to meet your needs.
  • This software works well with videos, images, and other multimedia tools.
  • It helps you keep track of multiple moving parts in your presentations.
Cons
  • It can get costly very quickly.
  • You may not take advantage of all of the features.
  • There are not a lot of graphics options for the markers.

2. Answer the Public

Price: Free and paid options. Paid option varies with needs
Best for: Looking at the top search results

Price: Free and paid options. Paid option varies with needs
Best for: Looking at the top search results

Price: Free and paid options. Paid option varies with needs
Best for: Looking at the top search results

Answer the Public

If you want people to view your work, you need to know what is already ranking well. Answer The Public is a tool that will show you the top search results from various search engines with the click of a button. That way, you can learn more about what you need to do to stand out from the crowd.

Pros
  • This software is versatile and easy to use.
  • There is a free version available.
  • It can help with search engine research.
Cons
  • The priced options can be costly.
  • The free version has strictly limited features.
  • This tool may not be able to help you write a whole article on its own.

3. DataVisu.al

Price: Free plan available
Best for: Those who need to make lots of charts

Price: Free plan available
Best for: Those who need to make lots of charts

Price: Free plan available
Best for: Those who need to make lots of charts

DataVisu.al

If charts and graphs are integral to your journalism, then you could benefit from DataVisu.al. The aesthetic appearance of your charts matters, and DataVisu.al helps you customize the appearance of your chart. The free plan is very limited in terms of its resolution, but the premium version has plenty of options.

Pros
  • A free version is available
  • There are plenty of customizable features.
  • Easy to upload your information and use the tool.
Cons
  • The free version only gives you access to low-resolution images.
  • The free plan requires you to include their logo.
  • This software requires internet access.

4. Rev

Price: Ranges from 25 cents per minute to $1.50 per minute
Best for: Transcribing your interviews

Price: Ranges from 25 cents per minute to $1.50 per minute
Best for: Transcribing your interviews

Price: Ranges from 25 cents per minute to $1.50 per minute
Best for: Transcribing your interviews

Rev

After a long day, you probably don’t want to listen to your interviews and type them out. However, you may want to explore this option if you have resources available. For example, you can play your interview or video and allow Rev to transcribe it. That way, you can do your laundry or cook dinner even as you get your interviews transcribed.

Read our Rev review to learn more

Pros
  • The software is fast working and intuitive.
  • The results from using this software are accurate.
  • It can save a lot of time and stress.
Cons
  • The pricing options can be expensive.
  • The pricing plans change quickly when more demand is required.
  • The interface is outdated.

5. BuzzSumo

Price: 10 free searches per month
Best for: Developing a strong headline

Price: 10 free searches per month
Best for: Developing a strong headline

Price: 10 free searches per month
Best for: Developing a strong headline

BuzzSumo

You must have a strong headline if you have an idea for a story. What happens if you have issues coming up with that headline? BuzzSumo can help you. You need to figure out what headlines are performing well, and BuzzSumo will show you some of the top options already available.

Pros
  • A free version is available.
  • This software helps with headline research.
  • It can help you overcome creative blocks.
Cons
  • A free plan is only limited to 10 searches per month.
  • Generates longer headlines that don’t always have the best syntax.
  • Some industries might have issues getting a good headline.

6. Canva

Price: Free options available. Paid version varies depending on what you want
Best for: Those who don’t have a lot of experience with graphic design

Price: Free options available. Paid version varies depending on what you want
Best for: Those who don’t have a lot of experience with graphic design

Price: Free options available. Paid version varies depending on what you want
Best for: Those who don’t have a lot of experience with graphic design

Canva

Canva is an excellent service that can help you create infographics, presentations, pictures, and other multimedia options. There are free templates available that can help you design your graphics, and many features are free. Because it does a lot of the work for you, it is great for people who don’t have a lot of experience with graphic design.

Pros
  • A free option is available.
  • The interface is intuitive and easy to use.
  • There are lots of options for pictures, presentations, and infographics.
Cons
  • Not all graphics are free.
  • Storage space is very limited on the free plan.
  • Many of the free graphics require you to include the Canva logo.

7. WordPress

Price: Free to start
Best for: Building a fast, functional website

Price: Free to start
Best for: Building a fast, functional website

Price: Free to start
Best for: Building a fast, functional website

WordPress

If you want to make a name for yourself, you need a website. But, you also need a website that can handle your graphics. That is where WordPress can be helpful. You don’t need any coding knowledge to use this site, as all you have to do is drag and drop your images and videos into place. Then, you will have a functional website in a few minutes. There are also plenty of plugins and widgets you can use to make your website that much better.

Pros
  • The software is easy to use.
  • There is a free version available to get started.
  • Users do not require coding knowledge.
Cons
  • Not all plugins and widgets work great.
  • WordPress will not necessarily help you get more traffic.
  • If you need professional help building your website, it can be expensive.

8. Miro

Price: Free version available. The paid version starts at $8 per month
Best for: Those who collaborate with others remotely

Price: Free version available. The paid version starts at $8 per month
Best for: Those who collaborate with others remotely

Price: Free version available. The paid version starts at $8 per month
Best for: Those who collaborate with others remotely

Miro

If you, or a team member, are working remotely, then you can benefit from Miro. Instead of emailing people back and forth, you can use this online whiteboard to share immediate feedback. You can also take advantage of digital sticky notes, flowcharts, and several other plugins.

Pros
  • Free version available.
  • Allows people to collaborate in real-time.
  • Multiple tools, such as sticky notes and flowcharts, are available.
Cons
  • The free version is very limited.
  • This software requires an internet connection to function.
  • This is collaborative software, so not suitable for independent work.

9. Dragon Anywhere

Price: $15 per month to start, but pricing varies
Best for: Those who need to dictate

Price: $15 per month to start, but pricing varies
Best for: Those who need to dictate

Price: $15 per month to start, but pricing varies
Best for: Those who need to dictate

Dragon Anywhere

Graphics come in many shapes and forms, and there are some situations where dictation can be helpful. Dragon dictation is one of the top options available, and you can use it to expedite your workflow. It is fast, accurate, easy to use, and can help you save a significant amount of time with voice commands.

Pros
  • The program learns your voice the more you use it.
  • Using voice command integrations can help you save time.
  • This software can help you avoid carpal tunnel.
Cons
  • The software is expensive.
  • It picks up background noise easily.
  • There can be a significant learning curve when you get started.

10. Envato

Price: Varies depending on the price of each template purchased
Best for: Finding inexpensive templates

Price: Varies depending on the price of each template purchased
Best for: Finding inexpensive templates

Price: Varies depending on the price of each template purchased
Best for: Finding inexpensive templates

Envato

If you have ever wanted an original template, you should look at Envato. This tool gives you access to a series of websites where you can purchase templates from professional artists. You can find website themes, background images for presentations, and even audio loops. Many students will sell their work here to make ends meet as they go to school. The cost varies depending on how many templates you purchase.

Pros
  • Most items are very cheap.
  • You can find images for everything from presentations to websites.
  • You can support a lot of students as they go to school.
Cons
  • The quality of the selection can vary from person to person.
  • You must make sure your images are compatible with your projects.
  • The image quality can change if you need to crop or customize it.

11. Klynt

Price: 14-day free trial. Price varies
Best for: Those who need to edit videos

Price: 14-day free trial. Price varies
Best for: Those who need to edit videos

Price: 14-day free trial. Price varies
Best for: Those who need to edit videos

Klynt

Klynt is a tool that you can install on your computer. You can use it to edit interactive videos. Essentially, this is a tool that you can use to provide viewers with options for what to do next. Then, they can choose what they want to happen. This is great for incorporating a bit of suspense into the story.

Pros
  • The software presents viewers with lots of options.
  • It does not require internet access.
  • It is great for adding suspense to videos.
Cons
  • The pricing is very expensive.
  • The software can be hard to use without video editing experience.
  • The software must be installed on your computer, so it takes up storage space.

12. Toby

Price: Free
Best for: Those who have lots of tabs

Price: Free
Best for: Those who have lots of tabs

Price: Free
Best for: Those who have lots of tabs

Toby

If you work with a lot of images and videos, you understand just how much of a problem that can be to have a lot of tabs open. If you are having trouble keeping track of everything, Toby can help you. You can create groups or collections of tabs with a graphical interface that allows you to drag and drop links into various areas. Then, you can find your tabs much more quickly, streamlining your workflow.

Pros
  • The software is entirely free.
  • It is intuitive and easy to use.
  • The software works as a Chrome extension and integrates with your browser.
Cons
  • You may still end up with a lot of tab collections.
  • It is a bit clunky if you try to use it outside of Chrome.
  • It can make it easier for you to get distracted by opening up more tabs and making more collections.

13. TinEye

Price: Free for non-commercial use
Best for: Image fact-checking

Price: Free for non-commercial use
Best for: Image fact-checking

Price: Free for non-commercial use
Best for: Image fact-checking

TinEye

If you use many images, you might be curious about how accurate they are. TinEye can help you do that. Unfortunately, many people have become vulnerable to fake news, and this is an image search engine that will let you know when and where an image was first used. Essentially, it creates a digital fingerprint of the image and matches it to other indexed images.

Pros
  • A free version is available for non-commercial use.
  • It can help you assess the accuracy of images.
  • This software uses a reliable digital fingerprint to compare images.
Cons
  • The price can be expensive if you don’t qualify for the free version.
  • There can be issues with the image quality.
  • The software is a bit slow.

14. Grammarly

Price: Free version available. Paid version varies
Best for: Checking your grammar

Price: Free version available. Paid version varies
Best for: Checking your grammar

Price: Free version available. Paid version varies
Best for: Checking your grammar

Grammarly

No matter what type of journalist you are, it is important for you to produce a professional, finished product. Grammarly helps you proofread and check for plagiarism, no matter where the text is located. This includes emails, word documents, social media posts, websites, and more. Therefore, it is the perfect option for ensuring that your information is plagiarism-free and grammatically correct.

Read our Grammarly review to learn more

Pros
  • A free version is available.
  • A chrome extension is available.
  • Works well with just about all types of text files.
Cons
  • The paid version is very expensive.
  • The plagiarism checker is only available with the paid version.
  • Sometimes the program fights with itself, making it unclear what the grammatically correct option is.

Selection Criteria

Some of the factors we considered when picking our tools include:

  • I have carefully considered how multimedia journalists would use each of these individual tools.
  • I have considered the availability of customizable features included in each software.
  • I have considered the tool’s price and compared it to the value for the money.

Then, we used that information to compile the list above.

Why You Can Trust Me

We understand that there are a lot of options available, and some of the reasons why you can trust us include:

  • We have personally tried all the tools on this list.
  • We considered the reviews from third parties, combined them with the opinions of professional journalists, and put together the list above.
  • We have tremendous experience working with numerous tools, and we used them to rank the list above.

Consider trying out a few of these tools to expedite your multimedia journalism.

FAQs on The Best Tools for Multimedia Journalism

How is multimedia used in journalism?

Multimedia can help journalists connect with their audience by using images and videos, which can significantly enhance the quality of a new story and hold readers’ attention.

What are the tools used to present or deliver the news?

There are lots of tools that can be used to prevent or deliver the news. This includes text editors, grammar checkers, image and video editors, and the internet, which deliver the news to as many people as possible.

Author

  • Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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