Interactive timelines have become a standard format for online news. They can often be useful for:
-telling a story that spans years, decades or longer
-understanding how an event or series of events unfolded
-highlighting a person’s life or career.
The key question is this: Can the timeline format present your information in a clearer or more compelling way than other formats (text, photos, audio, etc)?
Timeline Examples:
10 Weeks of the Recession (NYTimes.com)
100 Years Since the Last Cubs Victory (NYTimes.com)
The Clinton Campaign (NYTimes.com)
History of the Earth (MSNBC.com)
Casino Timeline Map (Las Vegas Sun)
Obama/McCain Debate of Oct 15, 2008 (C-Span)
