CONTENT SHARED IS CONTENT MULTIPLIED The most successful news organisations will be those who find better and easier ways to collaborate
t’s no longer a linear TV-dominated world, especially when it comes to news. Journalists now have to produce stories across platforms, to a variety of audiences, in compressed time frames. They need to be aware of how stories are published online and on social media – audio clips are broadcast across platforms, and teasers promote full versions of the narrative on the main news channel later in the day. “Things are changing for journalists,” explains Mark Hasselmann, product manager for CGI’s OpenMedia portfolio. “A lot of convergence is going on. And in this new world of media production, transparency is key.” Individual journalists are being given more responsibility in managing their stories. Although, with so many moving
parts, there is a greater need for tools that open windows to collaboration – allowing team members to see their parts of the
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workflow relating to the whole. CGI’s OpenMedia empowers a
cooperative and transparent journalistic workflow, using its StoryBin as the central topic planning instance. Based on this, journalists can aggregate research results and other information, coordinating teams and distribution of assets – up to a full- blown rundown management suite. Being able to find, manage and share content rapidly, transforms each journalist’s efforts into a resource for the entire team. “Time is money. If content contributed by one person can be reutilised by many teams, it’s going to create cost savings and brings advantages regarding ‘ready to air ’ availability
of assets. But in order to do this, the workflow has to provide transparency. I have to be able to share,” asserts Hasselmann. Different departments with distinct publishing frequencies create complexity. This needs to be reduced to avoid logjams, and for the organisation as a whole to take full advantage of each unit’s contribution. “If I’m the owner of an interesting story in a news department – it could be sports, news, weather – I must now adapt that to disparate audiences. As a result, I need to open my mind and collaborate with others. You require a holistic view. It’s not my story any longer, it belongs to the team.” The shift from atomised journalists, working in bits and pieces, to groups running as a network is still in process. But even public broadcasting stations – traditionally very conservative about their workflows – are embracing a cross-media production mindset. And the key to making this transition isn’t better technology. More often, it’s better thinking.
YOU NEED A HOLISTIC VIEW. IT’S NOT MY STORY ANY LONGER, IT BELONGS TO THE TEAM
Hasselmann concludes: “Too often we talk about process, system and software only. But we should not forget the human factor and collaboration in our workflows. We have to share; and with this transparency, teams can benefit from one another.”
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