A new tool for a new broadcast generation Report on NDN website launch and the rising demand for new online tools to support editorial output.
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About News Data Network News Data Network is a trusted source of lifestyle news content. Broadcasters rely on NDN to provide entertaining content which has a specific appeal to their audiences. With years of combined experience, News Data Network knows how to inform and engage audiences with topical news stories, celebrity guests and industry experts who can bring a radio schedule to life. At the end of 2013 we decided to update our current website for a new broadcast generation. With the advent of online and social media, broadcast journalists rely less on traditional tools and more on contemporary platforms to source news and other editorial content. The appeal of an ‘everything under one roof’ resource is therefore becoming increasingly evident. In response to this demand News Data Network commissioned a study of broadcast professionals to gauge how journalists/ producers/ editors currently source editorial content and how we could support this with a new online tool. The survey results have been used to build a new NDN site, geared to be a new tool for a new broadcast generation.
The Survey Atomik Research commissioned a survey of broadcast professionals that fall roughly into the following job roles: Station Manager (10%), Presenter (10%), Producer (45%) and Journalist (15%). Other roles included Assistant Editor, Head of Presentation, News Editor and Junior Broadcast Executive.
Of those surveyed, 50% were employed by a BBC Radio station or BBC television. 40% worked on commercial radio or TV and the remaining 10% were made up of other miscellaneous media channels. There was a diverse spread of age and region, with the majority of respondents aged between 25-34 and living in either the North West or the East/ East Anglia. Around 60% of respondents were male, with the remaining 40% female.
Results 70% would like to see a new online tool Seven in ten respondents said they would find a new online broadcast tool useful. Of the professions asked, producers were the ones who would find a new online tool most useful, with more than three-quarters calling for a new resource. However, there was widespread appeal across the board, with more than 50% of respondents across all job roles registering an interest. More use of online tools Broadcast professionals are increasingly utilising the web to source editorial content. Although traditional means (press releases, local councils, the police, interviews) still play a prominent role, there is a notable upsurge of contemporary platforms being used to build broadcast schedules. More than half of broadcast professionals now use the internet/ social media to source news content. Among the most popular tools are Twitter and online news, although Facebook is playing an increasingly
important role and dedicated online providers of news (Content Bank, NewsNow etc) are growing in prominence. Locally-sourced news content and stats are still crucial in building broadcast agendas. Local councils, the police service and MPs are regarded as important news sources and networking, conducting interviews and local contacts were also regarded as key content builders. Press releases and news aggregators are still commonly utilised, as well as PR agencies, who are considered an important generator of broadcast material.
help journalists perform their role. Local statistics on national stories were identified as being appealing for broadcast shows, as well as news on the broadcast channels themselves, which could be used as a means of promoting new shows/ announcements. This would also be a means of allowing the national broadcast community to digest what is happening at a local level. Finally, radio and television statistics and research was rated highly across the board. RAJAR and BARB statistics was rated as useful by 50% of respondents, and the same amount said broadcast trends and industry research would be helpful.
New Tools Broadcast professionals seemed to find ‘ancillary’ resources most useful in helping them build content. As most breaking news stories are sourced from standard resources (press aggregators/ press releases), there is a demand for a standardised source of additional content, such as features, insights, regional stats and quirky information. Half of respondents said On This Day, a daily summary of important events from the day, would be useful for building editorial content. The tool has already been a huge success on the current NDN site, with hundreds of broadcast journalists from across the country signing up to receive daily newsletters with interesting facts that occurred on this day throughout history. There’s a call for more interactive means of receiving this information, however, such as over social media channels and on the internet. Regional news which is more researchbased than ‘breaking’ would also
• Seven in ten respondents said they would find a new online broadcast tool useful. • More than half of broadcast professionals now use the internet/ social media to source news content. • Twitter is becoming an increasingly utilised tool for broadcast journalists. • rajar and barb statistics were said to be a useful tool.. • Local statistics on national stories were identified as being appealing for broadcast shows, www.newsdatanetwork.co.uk
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