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.
New Yorker writers reflect
on the year’s best.
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.
Puzzles & Games Dept.
How Much of the Decade Do You Actually Remember?
Test your knowledge of the 2010s in music, movies, TV, technology, and more.
Cartoon Desk
Animate Objects
Introducing New Yorker cartoons in augmented reality.
Poems
“Jim Limber in Heaven”
Poems on a uniquely American life—and afterlife.
Video
The New Yorker Documentary
Uncommon perspectives on issues that matter to us now.
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.
Portfolio
Los Angeles Dreaming
Scenes from the city’s imagination.
Culture Desk
Stephen Cheng Released One Single That Sounded Like Nothing Else. But Who Was He?
The story behind an obscure and beloved rocksteady recording and a singer who tried to bring worlds together in his music.
The Talk of the Town
Moon Hours
On July 20, 1969, the world watched in anticipation as Apollo 11 approached the lunar surface.
Portfolio
Zion Williamson and the N.B.A. Draftees Usher in a New Era of Basketball
Photographed shortly after their selection, the proud 2019 draft-night stars celebrated in style.
Listening Booth
Jamila Wood’s Celebration of Selfhood
On her new album, “Legacy! Legacy!,” the singer looks to her predecessors to craft a self-portrait filled with affirmations.
Portfolio
The Ice Stuppas
Artificial glaciers at the edge of the Himalayas.
News Desk
Twenty Years After Columbine
Physicians speak out about treating the victims of mass shootings.
Poems
“The Palace”
A poet considers America, and what it means to call a country home.
Touchstones
“Heathers” Blew Up the High-School Comedy
The 1989 cult classic ushered in a darker, weirder, more experimental era for teen movies.
Daily Comment
The Brexit Endgame
Brexit is scheduled to take place on March 29th—but the United Kingdom isn’t ready.
Poems
From “Deaf Republic”
A poet writes deafness as a form of dissent against tyranny and violence.
News Desk
Easy Targets
Tracking stolen firearms through the black market, from gun-store thefts to crime scenes.
Onward and Upward with the Arts
Roomful of Teeth Is Revolutionizing Choral Music
From death metal to throat singing to alpine yodelling, the experimental group is changing what it means to harmonize.
