If this a look into the future of journalism, then it is safe to say that the medium has a very bright future ahead of it. A story about an avalanche and the skiers caught in the middle of it all could have technically been told with traditional methods, namely by making a simple web version of a print article. But in order to give readers a clear window into the event, multimedia is used in a way to add almost a narrative feel to the story.

From the first sentence onwards, the piece reads like a non fiction novel rather than a news piece. The dramatic setup of the avalanche is enough to hook any and all readers. They could follow the stories of the survivors by looking at a slideshow showing photos of each person in the years leading up to the avalanche. The slideshows gave an element of humanity into each of the skiers and served to better help readers sympathize with them. The 911 calls and their accompanying transcripts, as well as the ambient music and basic production of the videos created an atmosphere of how it would’ve been on Tunnel Creek when the avalanche started.

But without a doubt, the graphics were the highlight feature of the piece. The maps and 3D renderings of the mountain and ski paths elaborated on the disaster in a manner that static images never could. Considering that the maps and animations took up a big chunk of the piece, it is quite clear that the author expected readers to take time to see them. This is further supported with the fact that animations themselves lack a ‘pause’ and ‘rewind’ feature, therefore forcing readers to pay close attention.

With this story’s overall success and acclaim, several current events could be told more fluently using the Snowfall method of multimedia journalism. Such recent examples that come to mind are the ongoing war against ISIS, the Black Lives Matter movement, and especially the 2016 presidential election.