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“Audiences now expect continuous visual engagement across media. With the exception of podcasts, every platform today is a visual platform,” says Michael Shane, Managing Editor, Bloomberg Digital.<\/p>\n
Visual storytelling and the cross-platform nature of newsrooms was the focus\u00a0of Long Story Short: How High Quality Photos Drive Cross-Platform Storytelling,<\/em>\u00a0a talk by Shane and Natasha Cholerton-Brown, Global Director of Visual Media Content.<\/p>\n How the industry has changed<\/strong><\/p>\n Increasing demand from readers for visual content is happening at a time when many publishers are facing reduced resources. According to the American Society of News Editors, since 2000, 43% of newspaper photographers\/videographers have lost their jobs. This means in order to deliver against reader consumption of visual media, newsrooms must adapt quickly.<\/p>\n “The number one skill we hire for now is being able to collaborate at a high level,” says Shane, “Roles in media are broadening. Very few people today are able to specialize in one thing. The most desirable professionals are cross-platform fluent.” Shane says newsrooms can collaborate faster and deliver a better final product when these skills are in place.<\/p>\n Thinking cross-platform at the start<\/strong><\/p>\n “Images have to convey the most information the quickest way,” says Cholerton-Brown, so to facilitate the quickest collaboration, a photographer or videographer needs to understand both the newsroom ecosystem and lifecycle of a story. Stories have to be reported across multiple platforms from the beginning and not as an afterthought. This means photographers covering a story, for example, must be able to deliver high-value, compelling images that translate seamlessly onto websites, apps, social media and print. Creating effective, valuable cross-platform images, she says, requires flexibility.<\/p>\n Additionally, the social media life and syndication of content means a story can have an extended life that requires additional reporting, images and adaptation for audiences. Gone are the days when reporters could file a story and move on to the next assignment.<\/p>\n Creating a multimedia team<\/strong><\/p>\n Teams will increasingly need to have both multi-device competency and flexibility in reporting. According to Shane, today most gaps in reporting are made in the planning stage and not the news gathering stage. Setting clear expectations for photographers at the outset, having rigorous, upstream communications about visuals, and thinking about shooting for four or five platforms at the outset means newsrooms will be better able to capitalize on opportunities.<\/p>\n For more insight into the changing photo news industry, cross-platform storytelling, and preparing your visual media team, watch the archived webinar below. In addition, you’ll hear from Bloomberg’s visual experts on:<\/p>\n