Hey, How'd You Launch The New York Times' One in 8 Million Project, Sarah Kramer?

At one of the most storied newspapers, this audio producer envisioned and crafted a multidimensional Web-based project

By Paulina Reso - May 18, 2009

The corner druggist, surrounded by candy, toilet paper and soda, has a story to tell. So does the man who has been cutting hair at the Port Authority Bus Terminal for 36 years. Even a 72-year-old accountant has a tale. Sarah Kramer has been unearthing stories of ordinary people that would otherwise be unnoticed for radio and film for more than 10 years. When she was hired at The New York Times as a multimedia and audio producer, she brought her decade's worth of documentary-style storytelling skills. Along with fellow Times multimedia producer, Alexis Mainland, Kramer developed One in 8 Million: The Web-driven segment combines audio and photography, and a print component runs in the Metro Section of the paper. Each week, the project zeroes in on a single character living in New York City and serves up a slice of life.

Before coming to the Times, Kramer was the senior producer at StoryCorps, a Peabody Award-winning audio program that records conversations between loved ones. NPR's Morning Edition features these stories weekly. She has also worked as a field producer and associate producer for HBO and PBS.

mediabistro.com caught up with Kramer to discuss the intricacies of reporting oral history through interactive multimedia, the project's collaboration process, and her projections for Web content delivery....