NEW YORK (March 1, 2005) — Photojournalism veteran and new-media pioneer Brian Storm announced today the launch of MediaStorm, a multimedia production studio with the principal aim of ushering in a new era of multimedia storytelling. The launch includes a call for submissions to Voices, the company’s flagship publication, which will feature in-depth multimedia stories.

“Voices will be an eclectic showcase for multimedia storytellers to connect with educated readers thirsty for well produced, engaging narratives,” said Storm. “Our goal is to create epic productions, rich with detail and timeless in their relevance.” The deadline for submissions to the inaugural issue, slated for print, broadcast and online, is set for March 31. We will continue to review submissions past that deadline for future editions. Submission guidelines are available at http://mediastorm.org.

Consolidation in the media industry has put new financial pressures on newsrooms, which are reducing staff and emphasizing dissemination rather than newsgathering, according to a recent report published by Columbia University’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. Network news, news magazines, and newspaper front pages carry an ever-widening range of topics, but much of the new diversity is in lighter fare – lifestyle, entertainment, and consumer news. Some outlets are thriving as they reject the trend toward lighter content and surface coverage. The report asserts, “the success of NPR in radio, The Economist among magazines and The New York Times among newspapers suggests a growing elite niche across media sectors,’ one that demands in-depth reporting on globally relevant stories.

According to Storm, this environment creates not only an advancement in quality storytelling, but also a new economic opportunity for the next-generation storyteller. “Combining animation, audio, interactivity, photography, text and video allows multimedia storytellers to distribute their work across multiple media platforms simultaneously to reach the largest audience and widest economic markets,” said Storm. “I founded MediaStorm to support this revolution by providing collaborative post-production support and an arc of distribution outlets.”

At 34, Storm has become widely respected as a passionate and innovative leader in the fields of photojournalism and new media. He has focused on the craft of visual storytelling as a photojournalist, a picture editor, a technological innovator, and a proponent of fair and emerging business practices.

“I look forward to seeing Brian’s venture contribute to the further evolution of multimedia storytelling,” said Tom Kennedy, managing editor for multimedia at WashingtonPost/Newsweek Interactive. “As a leader and pioneer in this area for more than ten years, Storm brings experience, passion, and a strong ethic to this endeavor. I’m sure he’ll continue to be a great advocate for the advancement of the profession, using this new platform.”

From 1995 to 2002 Storm was director of multimedia at MSNBC.com, a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC News, where he was responsible for the audio, photography and video elements of the site. His team created the Web’s first on demand and live video destinations, The Week in Pictures and Picture Stories to showcase visual journalism in new media.

Storm received his master’s degree in photojournalism in 1995 from the University of Missouri where he ran the School of Journalism’s New Media Lab, taught Electronic Photojournalism and produced CD-ROMs for the Pictures of the Year competition and the Missouri Photo Workshop.

As a leading voice in the ongoing debate about the impact of new technology on journalism, Storm has presented his ideas at dozens of universities and conferences around the world including the NPPA’s Flying Short Course, The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, Poynter Institute’s Visual Edge, The International Center of Photography, The World Editors Forum, Visa pour l’Image and The Stan Kalish Picture Editing Workshop.

Storm serves on the Advisory Board for The Eddie Adams Workshop, Brooks Institute’s Journalism School and Circle of Blue, a multimedia production team dedicated to stories of environmental and social change. He has judged both the University of Missouri’s Pictures of the Year and the National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism contests, and also serves on the NPPA’s Business Practices committee.