While the way TV is distributed and consumed has changed dramatically since the days when families gathered around the TV at 6 p.m. to watch the nightly news, one thing remains the same — viewers consume local content to stay connected to their community.
As a result, news organizations are considering how to maintain that connection while innovating the way they produce and distribute content.
“Local newscasts are in need of modernizing, adapting and of catering the newscast experience to a modern audience,” said Socrates Lozano, senior director, ScrippsCast and newsroom innovation, The E.W. Scripps Co. at TVNewsCheck’s NewsTECHForum in New York City on Dec. 13. “If you go into any of our archives across any of our newsrooms across the country, not a lot has changed in terms of formats since 1970. We have a big opportunity in front of us.”
“We need to find the viewers where they’re going and make it more convenient for them [to consume our content],” said Meredith McGinn, EVP, diginets and original production, NBCUniversal Local.
“It’s important to experiment,” McGinn said, “but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater,” stating an idea echoed by many panelists throughout the day.
“Adapting is a wise way to think of it,” said Sam Peterson, chief operating officer of media software solutions provider Bitcentral. “What does it look like to adapt how we put content together? We have an opportunity to tell these stories differently.”
Even if stories are being told differently, viewers still need