Teamwork delivers multiformat coverage of Chauvin jury selection

Aided by planning and strategy, a team of AP journalists produced standout crossformat coverage of jury selection in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer charged in the death of George Floyd.

Preparation included a robust package setting the stage: a piece by Steve Karnowski describing the tension in Minneapolis as the trial loomed, a story by Report for America corps member Mohamed Ibrahim with photos from Jim Mone on the significance — and battle over — the intersection where Floyd was confronted by police, and a story by Amy Forliti examining the legal issues at the heart of the case.

Karnowski, in the courtroom and a member of rotating pool, concentrated on the proceedings while Forliti and news editor Doug Glass also focused on the livestream. Ibrahim and Mone worked outside the courtroom to capture reaction and protests for text, photos and video. Central Desk reporter Tammy Webber pulled together the text story remotely, with editors Andrea Thomas and Jeff McMurray handling the majority of spot and enterprise coverage. Atlanta-based video producer Ritu Shukla handled most of the video edits as live video was provided to customers.

The explanatory journalism was facilitated by an aggressive use of the AP’s Explainer format, eight of which were produced over the course of the first 10 days of proceedings.