Is Instagram A Platform For Hard-Hitting Journalism?

Would you read an in-depth, investigative article published on Instagram? That’s the question Reveal, the website of The Center of Investigative Reporting, is asking as it launches an investigative series on the social media site.
Antoine Goldet’s reporting on plea deals in the U.S. court system has been serialized on Reveal’s Instagram page, with three posts a day telling the story over a week. Each chapter features an illustration related to the story, and the content itself is posted in the caption. Instagram’s captions allow for 2,200 characters, meaning it can fit a significant chunk of text in each post.
A photo posted by Reveal (@revealnews) on Aug 22, 2016 at 8:07am PDT
The series also includes short videos narrated by the main character of the story, as shown in the post below.
A video posted by Reveal (@revealnews) on Aug 23, 2016 at 10:27am PDT
The story looks into the alarmingly high number of court cases in the U.S. which are settled with plea deals – when the accused accepts a reduced sentence in return for confessing to their supposed crimes. The harrowing tale follows a man, Rodney Roberts, who pleaded guilty to kidnapping, despite never meeting the victim. The full article will appear on the Reveal website after the series has concluded.

Instagram’s format places certain constraints on story-telling, but it’s tiled layout can make a series of posts more compelling.
A photo posted by Reveal (@revealnews) on Aug 23, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT
Publishing companies have experimented with a number of social media strategies over the past 10 years, as the industry has moved, somewhat awkwardly, into the digital world. One of the more recent shifts to social-first publishing was Facebook Instant Articles, which lets media companies host their articles on the social media site. The idea is to make the articles easier to access, and users on the Facebook app can click on a link and get almost instant access without having to leave the app. Facebook benefits by collecting advertising dollars that come with the content. Many top publishers, including The New York Times, signed up.

Publishers are also quickly getting to grips with Snapchat, and several big names have already set up Discover channels on the app, which lets them create professional looking content using features unavailable to the normal Snapchat user.

Facebook Live, Periscope, and other live chat services have also become popular among media companies in recent times. Every publisher is scrambling to find a way to recapture audiences fragmented by the emergence of the internet, and experiment’s like Reveal’s are a crucial part of the industry’s continuing attempts to evolve.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.