locally. Instead, the raw files could be uploaded to a central system and assigned to an editor in California or Missouri. He notes how this breaks down geographic barriers: “You start to optimise your resource pool, rather than being constrained by location.” The benefits are tangible. Faster turnaround and tighter collaboration paired with greater content reuse mean newsrooms can respond more dynamically to breaking events. But, as Day stresses, this is not just about technology. “Only about 30 to 40% of the battle is the technology. About 60 to 70% is change management.” For many broadcasters, the challenge lies in retraining staff and redesigning workflows. Plus, in some cases, this means navigating union rules that dictate how roles can evolve as automation takes over repetitive tasks. Software as the new backbone Beyond the hardware layer, newsroom software has become the true new engine of modern news broadcasting. Tools that once operated in silos (editing suites, graphics systems, content management, scheduling) are being increasingly integrated into single platforms to eliminate the individualistic approach to media
workflows of times past. “Producing a story isn’t just video and graphics; it includes planning, recordings and logistics too. It’s complex,” explains Pogacean. “Where Vizrt really fits in is with tools like Viz Pilot Edge and Viz Story, which speed up workflows and allow content to be published in multiple formats and aspect ratios.” Automation is far from being a rigidity trap, instead enabling greater flexibility in production. Viz Mosart, for example, lets producers cut into automated rundowns for breaking news and then seamlessly return to schedule. “Speed gets you noticed, but accuracy gets you trusted,” Pogacean says. “In this sense, software doesn’t just accelerate the processes, but also underpins journalistic integrity by making sure what goes on air is consistent, reliable and properly branded across all channels.” Importantly, many of these tools are now web-based. Journalists working remotely can access the same graphics templates, rundowns and editing tools as their colleagues in the control room. Moving media mountains Of course, all of the above would be rendered impossible if the content couldn’t reach the newsroom in the
first place. As Fraser Jardine, director of global business development at Dot Group, points out, the increased diversity of field location, though a technically progressive step, does mean contending with varying network quality. “It’s also safe to say that media files aren’t just your bog-standard We Transfer job. They usually comprise vast petabytes of data, making strong connectivity to support their safe transportation absolutely paramount. Journalists and field operatives often struggle to connect reliably to their broadcast hubs,” Jardine says. “The need for real-time ingest, processing and distribution of high-resolution video from multiple sources demands robust infrastructure.” Dot Group’s use of IBM Aspera addresses this challenge through employing the patented FASP protocol, which maximises available bandwidth regardless of latency or packet loss. “For news companies transferring massive video files, live feeds or archives across global facilities or cloud environments, FASP’s adaptive rate controller ensures reliability, speed and efficiency,” Jardine explains. In practice, this has allowed European broadcasters covering global sporting events to ingest
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