Going live with the

Why we liveblogged a day in the life of a newspaper

The Aim

• To trial some new and varied ways of engaging with readers

• To increase interactivity between the newsroom and our audience

• To experiment with some new technology

• To give everyone on the LDP the chance to get involved

• And…

... because we could!!

The Practicalities

• Convince Editor why wild idea should become reality

• Create liveblog with free software – LDP used coveritlive.com (www.scribblelive.com or backnoise.com are alternatives)

• Ensure clear internal communication

• Tell the world – several times!

Crowdsourcing• Interaction takes various forms - our liveblog allowed us to run polls throughout the day.

• One poll on bottled water helped us plan a new campaign

• This poll shows what people thought of the liveblog.

Views and news

Plan B in action

What we learned

• Interaction and engagement – and entertainment – boosts audiences (1,500 people on liveblog section through the day)

• Some posts develop may threads of their own without LDP involvement

• Liveblogging is exciting; immediate communication and reaction engages staff

What we learned (cont)

• Online users expect to interact and share their opinions, questions and experience

• How you tell the story is vital; text and photos are just the start

• Liveblogging takes time and effort but a busy blog means readers will stay for more

Final thoughts

• Prepare… but don’t plan too rigidly

• Something(s) will go wrong: Technology + newsroom = meltdown

• Don’t censor unless it’s essential

• Give all staff the opportunity…but don’t force them to take part

• Live-blogging is addictive for everyone involved!

(Some) Industry Views