Google Earth Tour Feature Helps CNN Tell Story of Ft. Hood Shooting

I watched the CNN coverage of the Ft. Hood shootings and, during one segment of the program, the on-air reporter "told" the story using Google Earth's "tour" feature. This is a commonly used feature for those that are familiar with the touring function but what struck me was how much it put into context the unfolding of the day's events and timeline of the shootings.

In the past, this type of report might have been supported with rather crudely-drawn 2D maps. In this case, not only was the reporter able to trace the footsteps of the gunman spatially, but the supporting aerial imagery added real context for those who may not be familiar with the extent of the base, but especially for those who might have been stationed there at one time.

As I have commented before, there is some caution with this type of reporting. When the mainstream media uses imagery in this manner, the viewer often gets the sense of being there "live" and in "real-time." In truth, we know that the imagery might be several years old. In this case, I applaud their expert use of Google Earth. It was an added dimension that was used to tell the complete story.

Comments

Unknown said…
I guess this is another Lidar Technology results. And it is a good news that Google Earth Tour was featured in CNN. Nice !!!
December 27, 2009 at 9:17 PM
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