Mastering the mobile-first, multiplatform news cycle for breaking news

@bydanielvictor

Let’s start with an exerciseYou’re the day cops reporter. You hear a

“Signal 50” on the scanner, which you

know to mean shots are fired. And it’s

right by the elementary school!

GO.

What we’ll learn- Strengths of each

platform

- Phone (app vs.

mobile web vs.

push alert)

- Tablet

- Website

- Twitter,

Facebook,

Snapchat. Oh

God, there are

so many!

What we’ll learn- How to prioritize

- Then, we’ll do it!

Photo by Flickr user Charles Dyer

Why multiplatform news matters

We want to

reach as many

people as

possible. Doing

that requires

reaching them

where they are,

in the format

they expect.

72% mobile

Platform-agnostic?Maybe we shouldn’t

be.

Each platform has its

own strengths and

weaknesses, and your

goal should be to

tailor your

presentation on each.

Phone: push alertsYou’re tapping someone on the

shoulder. That’s extremely

powerful, but it better be worth it.

Phone: mobile app“If you are a small- or

medium-sized

publisher, don’t have a

news app. If you

already have one, shut

it down. Use your

resources to make your

mobile website better.”- Priya Ganapati, who spent five years

working on a Wall Street Journal app

Phone: mobile webThis is where most of your readers

will land from Facebook and Twitter.

This cannot be an afterthought.

Look at your news outlet’s website

on your phone.

TabletYour lean-back

readers. Greet

them after a

long day at

work.

This is likely

automated.

Twitter• People turn to it for breaking news and for a

distraction.

• Good for crowdsourcing, reactions and official

statements. Embed tweets in your article

pages.

• Be the pillar of strength (and reliability) in a

hurricane of uncertainty.

• Keep your traffic expectations low.

Facebook• Less useful in rapidly

developing news; direct

them to your website

instead.

• Native videos are

increasing in popularity.

• Greatest potential for

massive traffic.

InstagramBest for beauty/art, but

increasingly used for news.

Check out stories.

Pinterest People go here for aspiration and

inspiration, not breaking news.

SnapchatFirst draft of

history. It’s OK if

it’s rough.

People expect

immediacy. Could

have someone

snapping from the

scene.

PeriscopeBring them somewhere

they can’t be. A tour of

the building, a view

from the stands, etc.

Very small audience,

though. Think of it as a

service to your Twitter

followers.

Facebook LiveCan get huge

audiences

Replays

available

Tips on best

practices:

bit.ly/facebklive

Your turn: how to use social mediaA big pile-up has

shut down the main

highway into town.

How will you

approach this on

each social media

platform?

Your desktop home pageYou might not

need a splashy

home-page

design. People

are more likely

to land on your

article page.

Article design: related linksIf someone

arrives sideways,

will they know

you have more to

offer?

If your CMS can’t

do it, put links in

text.

Story formatsDon’t just write 800

words and be done with

it.

- Live blog, listicle,

Storify, explainer,

chunks, etc.

VideoIt’s OK to be a little rough in

breaking news (if it shows

something important), then

polish it up for the “second-

day story,” (which shouldn’t

wait for the second day).

How newsrooms are reorganizing

Infrastructure you need• Can reporters file from the field?

• Can photogs quickly send their photos and

videos? Then can someone quickly publish

them?

• Can your CMS embed tweets and Instagram

posts?

bit.ly/wnycbreak

Corrections- Acknowledge

mistake

- Limit spread

- Threading

- Screenshot,

then delete

Let’s try this again.You’re running the show, and the day

cops reporter says she just heard a

building collapsed downtown. There

might have been people inside.

GO.