Like us on FacebookNews
U_News @4 and RJI explore alternative interactive news model
Mar 2, 2012
Many believe integrating social media and the audience into news is a great way to progress media into the future – this story focuses on one of MU’s professional newsrooms trying that.
From Reynolds Journalism Institute
In an effort to break the traditional mold, as most other media platforms have, KOMU-TV 8 has created a unique space for journalists that no other broadcast has. When Oprah announced her show was coming to an end, Marty Siddall, KOMU general manager, Stacey Woelfel, KOMU news director, and Sarah Hill, Emmy award winning reporter and interactive anchor at KOMU, decided to take their churning idea and run with it: U_News @ 4.
Nathan Higgins, U_News @ 4 producer, explains the show as, “a live, interactive conversation mixing television, social media, news, humor, sports, and entertainment. This is by all accounts a very broad explanation but it does get to U_News’ core. We’re not looking to just broadcast a newscast now and tell you what today’s news is. Talking at you isn’t an option for U_News. The focus now is with you.”
This live broadcast is a hybrid, interactive newscast that is a conversation about you and the day’s news. It’s news + weather + sports with a layer of viewer Tweets, Facebook and Google Plus posts. Hosted by Sarah Hill, U_News is co-hosted with a live “cyber-couch” with up to 9 viewers from mid-Missouri and all over the world. More…