Excellence in Online/Digital Journalism, Immersive Storytelling

Yutao Chen, “Russia bombs Ukraine almost every night. This is what it sounds like.” The Washington Post

ABOUT THE WORK: By weaving together compelling audio clips and atmospheric photography, the piece created an alternative, immersive way to tell stories from the war in Ukraine. The goal was to make the experience palpable and to communicate the relentless fear and stress, along with the deeply traumatic reality of sheltering through bombardments. Audio clips were used to drive the storytelling, combining the eerie lament of sirens, the buzz of drones, the boom-ricochet of ballistic missiles with moody and cinematic photographs to deepen the narrative’s emotional impact.

Yutao is an interactive designer, photographer and filmmaker based in Washington, D.C. He is a senior product designer at The Washington Post, where he designs and builds multimedia storytelling experiences. Before joining The Post in 2020, he served as multimedia editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Originally from Shanghai, his work has been recognized by the Society for News Design, the National Press Photographers Association, the Online Journalism Awards, and others.

Honorable Mention: Amy Qin, Mendy Kong, series, “What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?” (1/2/3), WBEZ Chicago, Curious City

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