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Innovative Individuals
Innovative Individuals: Nancy Donaldson
If you watched “The Frontline of Mexico’s AIDS War” by the Washington Post in 2008, or enjoyed the “Choosing a President” presentation by The New York Times, you were watching the talented work of Nancy Donaldson. During her short career she has already produced a wealth of innovative multimedia projects from two of the most highly respected news organizations. As is evident from her inspirational work, it seemed clear that she deserved the title for this week’s Innovative Individual.
According to a 2008 Washington Post bio, Nancy’s “work has contributed to a Peabody, two Scripps Howard Foundation’s National Journalism Awards, two Casey Medals of Honor for Meritorious Journalism, and this year, she was nominated for both a local and national Emmy.” I’m sure this award list has expanded exponentially since she arrived at The Times.
Nancy has also been involved in a number of Rich Beckman’s international projects, including a producer for “The Ancient Way” in Spain, and coach for “South of Here” in Chile and Argentina and the Special Olmypics Winter Games in Idaho.
Make sure to check out some of Nancy’s career highlights thus far in these excellent projects:
New York Times: (2008-present)
Another Stimulus Package?
War Without Borders
An Ambush and a Comrade Lost
India Struggles with Hunger
The Day After, Voters Reflect
Washington Post: (2005-2008)
Hardest Hit: Hurt and Hope Among Low-Wage Workers
Possibilities for the Impossible
Fixing D.C.’s Schools
Walter Reed and Beyond
Cluster Bombs in South Lebanon
Q) How do you drive innovation in your work?
A) It has been my experience that innovation occurs most naturally when it’s the product of collaboration. The greater the number of skill sets and perspectives represented in a group of collaborating partners, the better that group will be at tailoring their use of media technology/techniques to the needs of the story. I’m incredibly lucky to be on a team with extremely talented people who have a diverse range of experiences and strengths. We have weekly meetings led by Andrew Devigal where we brainstorm and bounce around ideas about upcoming stories and projects. For me, there is no better way for inspiration to begin to take shape.
Q) What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?
A) One of my favorites is “Choosing a president,” which I worked on as a member of a small team during the weeks leading up to the election last November. It was an exciting proposition to be responsible for recapping the course of the entire campaign trail in a piece set to run the day before the election. It was a big undertaking in a short period of time, but the entire team was really proud of what we were able to produce.
Q) Please provide a brief educational and professional history.
A) I am currently a multimedia producer for the New York Times. Before coming to the Times, I was a senior multimedia journalist for WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive (washingtonpost.com). I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I studied multimedia and photojournalism.
Q) Where do you believe multimedia fits into today’s society and how will that role change over time?
A) Media influences society, but society also influences media. I believe the evolution of multimedia technology is equally a reflection of and a response to similar technological trends in society. Sometimes new technologies will shape the way society communicates, and sometimes society will evolve in a way that inspires or even requires the creation of new means to communicate with each other. In any case, new media technologies are only as valuable as they are effective at telling better stories or conveying information to the audience in a more meaningful way.
Q) What is one thing on your “To-Do” list?
A) Learn After Effects.
Want to nominate a deserving colleague, friend or inspirational figure to be highlighted in this series? Confidential nominations can be emailed to tracynboyer@gmail.com on an ongoing basis. Self nominations are also welcome. A person will be featured every Friday, so look for the next “innovative individual” Friday, December 4th!
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