Just as the digital-publishing revolution of the past decade changed how we consume stories, the technical tool kit made available to journalists has changed the way we tell them. At The New Yorker, our stories are enhanced by data, design, illustration, photography, audio, video, and other forms of interactivity. Each application allows us to extend the great storytelling tradition of the magazine into new mediums.
For John Seabrook’s article about predictive text, we partnered with OpenAI, an artificial-intelligence company, on an experiment to see if an A.I. writer, trained on the archives of the magazine, can learn to write for The New Yorker. At the end of each section, readers can see what the New Yorker-trained A.I. predicted would come next. Earlier this year, we published “Easy Targets,” by Brian Freskos, an immersive investigation into the legal security requirements for gun stores. Co-published with The Trace, this story follows stolen firearms from gun-store thefts, through the black market, to crime scenes. Photography, video, and interactive maps document how these stolen weapons cut an arc of violence across the country. This year, we also published several visual essays, including new work by photographer Alex Prager, a feature by Vasantha Yogananthan on artificial glaciers (known as ice stupas) that provide water to farmers at the edge of the Himalayas, and Hashem Shakeri on Iran’s housing crisis.
In addition to these enterprise features, we are also continually finding new ways to present classic New Yorker formats. For the literati among you, we produced a tool that serves up media-rich annotations without disrupting the reading experience. For the cartoon enthusiasts out there, check out “Animate Objects,” an augmented-reality cartoon feature that allows you to discover the secret thoughts of everyday items. You can also make your own cartoon using components drawn by the late cartoonist Charles Barsotti. In addition to publishing new installments in our cultural series Touchstones, we also expanded our offering of interactive poetry features, including works by Ilya Kaminsky, Kaveh Akbar, Eliza Griswold, and Shane McCrae. And, for those who feel like this past year (or decade) simply flew by, we’ve got something for you, too.
Here is a selection of our favorite visual and interactive features from 2019.
Poems
Bang’s Purgatorio
Excerpts from a lively new translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
The Back Page
Make Your Own Cartoon
Arrange the figures as you see fit—and don’t forget to write a caption.
Cartoon Desk
Animate Objects
Introducing New Yorker cartoons in augmented reality.
Page-Turner
The Day After Kerouac Died
Fifty years ago, Allen Ginsberg recorded his thoughts about the death of his friend Jack Kerouac, and began writing a new poem.
Portfolio
Ghost Towers
The view from Iran’s housing crisis.
A Reporter at Large
The Next Word
Can a machine learn to write for The New Yorker?
The Campaign Trail
The Art of the Political Cameo
Bernie Sanders is a curmudgeon in an eighties dramedy, Cory Booker reaches across the aisle in “Parks and Rec,” and Bill de Blasio won’t shut up on “The Good Wife.”
Poems
“First Person”
A poet’s “I” is not herself.
The Talk of the Town
Moon Hours
On July 20, 1969, the world watched in anticipation as Apollo 11 approached the lunar surface.
Portfolio
The Ice Stuppas
Artificial glaciers at the edge of the Himalayas.
Poems
“The Palace”
A poet considers America, and what it means to call a country home.
Daily Comment
The Brexit Endgame
Brexit is scheduled to take place on March 29th—but the United Kingdom isn’t ready.
News Desk
Easy Targets
Tracking stolen firearms through the black market, from gun-store thefts to crime scenes.
