This week’s readings are mostly viewings. Once upon a time, this unit involved the late, lamented Vine (for those not in the know, Vine was an app that let you create and share six-second videos; Twitter bought them, and that was that). That time limit and focus on speed and sharing made it a tremendous place for creativity (and weirdness), and it might be why the app couldn’t last. Check out some of these applications:
- It was used in journalism, to the delight of some and the annoyance of others.
- PBS’ MediaShift gives a great rundown of its strengths and weaknesses
- Possibly the best example of informational Vine at work was Six-Second Science Fair.
(Why am I having you read examples from a dead app? Because I want you to see what journalists and mass communicators did with this weird little thing. Innovation is our focus, after all: When you see something new, your first thought could be “how could I do journalism with this?”)
Vine may be gone, but live video’s having a moment. My friend Mike is involved with the Purple Martin cam up at Presque Isle in Erie, Pa., which is a live camera pointed at a purple martin nest all day.
You may think a bird’s nest wouldn’t draw much interest, and you would be wrong – the cam was a surprise hit, with people logging on throughout the day to watch (and comment on) the activities of the birds (check the comments on that video if you don’t believe me). Elsewhere, scientists are livestreaming marshes, and entertainment like gaming has become big business largely thanks to streaming popularity on YouTube and apps like Twitch (as in this example for a mobile game).
Naturally, the big kids want to play. Facebook lets you livestream with Facebook Live, and Periscope, another app gobbled up by Twitter, now powers Twitter Live (not much for originality in naming over there). Facebook has even fiddled with letting viewers skip to the good part – think of it as semi-livestreaming. This is our current social media world: Ideas live, they die, they live again (but under new management).
(By the way, if you’re wondering how I jumped to a specific part of the video, check out its URL. Or you can be lazy and just use this site)
Livestreaming is inarguably changing the media landscape. Do you livestream? Is it something you’d try? Consider these suggestions from Poynter on how to do it (have a plan, don’t waste my time, make sure you’re adding value…). How can we apply this to the practice of journalism, and what are its problems?
As part of your overall response to the above questions, propose a livestreaming topic that would compliment your personal or group blog. When and how would you do it? What would you need to prepare in advance? We’ll discuss further in this week’s classes.
Post your responses in a comment to this post by 11:59 p.m., Monday, April 8.
aaaaaargh
Interactive Journalism 
As of now, I don’t really livestream. I don’t really love being on camera or hearing my own voice recorded (which is sometimes rough for me in journalism classes with a broadcast element.) If I tried it, I’d rather be showcasing something interesting than just pointing the camera at my face and talking. It’s surprising what sort of things people find interesting enough to watch live – for instance, I thought the bird livestream was insanely dull and could only get through about 45 seconds of it before I moved on. That people would continuously check back in on that livestream and comment on it is bewildering to me.
I think an interview-style livestream might compliment the My Reputation group blog. I think it’d be particularly interesting to get representatives from the dissociated fraternities to do a live interview. The live element would be valuable because we could market it as an unedited, truly accurate reflection of what these guys have to say rather than out-of-context quotes or a soundbite. I would definitely need to plan in advance (setting up the interview, planning questions, etc.)
I have livestreamed on my personal twitter and instagram accounts before but usually just to show them something I’m doing such as makeup or an event I’m at. I think it’d be fun and somewhat challenging to do a livestream of a topic for my personal or group blog because if we mess up there is no going back you just have to roll with the punches. For my group blog I think an interesting topic to talk about live is how the party atmosphere here at WVU is effecting our environment. The “Dartys” otherwise known as day partys often leave the ground filled with solo cups, beer bottles and cans, and whatever is left from what party goer’s have eaten throughout the day. Then you have the nightlife scene where everyone will go out to the clubs then somewhere like lotsa to eat after only to leave their plates, pizza boxes, napkins, and cups scattered all down high street. We could do this in the podcasting room and maybe even do a collaboration with the nightlife group blog. To prepare in advance we would need questions and real encounters of what we’ve experienced or maybe even done.
As apart of WVU News last semester apart of our assignment was to do a Facebook Live as we covered each story topic for the week. This really helped me learn how to prepare for a live streaming, while also being able to be conversational and think on my feet. People are on social media for a large portion of the day and if they are not actually on the app they have the notification set to make sure they don’t miss any thing. Live streaming is like the video aspect of being caught up on your social media apps. By using the live aspect people can get in the action and learn or hear and see what you are doing in real time.
Something that I think would be really cool to live stream would be the group doing like an art class on a specific Appalachian art or trying to create an Appalachian art piece. We could talk about the facts and difficulties behind the art form while people can see us attempt to do an age old art form. This gives people something visual to watch while also learning something new about a specific art form(s). I advance we would need to know what art form we are doing and how to do it or at least a step by step instructions on how to do it. We would need to intersect various parts with set up fun facts, history, etc. while the other times we have opinions, banter, and let people see what we are trying to do so they can do it too.
It was really interesting to read about how Vine was used as a journalistic tool for a time because it does just seem so difficult to use it because of its unique time constrictions. However, the 6-Second Science Fair was a really neat example of how the time restraints allow creators to cut to the chase with their content. Likewise the live-streaming feature on Facebook allows you to do the same with the way it tells viewers when engagement is the highest. However, this feature also gives viewers the chance to watch the entire footage if they choose. In this way, this is a valuable tool for journalists because it allows them to start taping when they are on the scene of a major story or event, even if they don’t know when the climax of the story will occur. Viewer engagement will help cut out the unnecessary footage and skip to the important parts.
For our group blog, I think something really cool, especially because I’ve written about choosing dance as a career, would be to sit in on a dancer’s rehearsal so that viewers can see the process for themselves. Beforehand, I could interview a dancer and a choreographer to get a glimpse at what the creating process is like, as well as the struggles of getting your work to be recognized. Then, we could sit in on a rehearsal, moving to different angles of the dance space to capture movement. In advance, we would need to prepare a time to visit a rehearsal and talk with dancers/choreographers.
When I spent a semester in Disney I would often livestream on my instagram while I was watching the fireworks or parade. I did so because I had a lot of friends and family that were curious about what I was up to in Orlando. Live streaming was great because I didn’t really have to go out of my way and then it felt like others from back home were there with me and they would often comment while watching. I often find myself watching some of my favorite youtubers live streams because it feels like I am hanging out with them like were friends as everything happens in real time.
I thought It was really interesting to read about how vine used to be used for journalism. People have short attention spans so I guess that makes sense. It was neat to see that journalist would use it for behind the scene work as well.
For my group blog, I think live streaming would be a little difficult. However I think a good idea would be to have an event where we pick up trash and show users how much is around us. With it being Darty season the streets are constantly filled with beer cans and trash. That way were showing users how much that’s hurting the environment and how someone can help.
I am most familiar with live stream from social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Politicians, product demonstrations, and bloggers have been the most popular when using live streaming. Specifically on Instagram, I see bloggers and name brands discussing their products and showing their audience. It is an important tool in the social media world because the audience feels like they are actually there and important to the one presenting the message.
A live stream for our group blog could be actually streaming the nightlife in downtown Morgantown on the weekend. We would have to be careful to not make this live stream an inappropriate video for our audience because downtown nightlife could get out of control fast. I think it would be a great resource for our blog and readers. I believe that we would really need to plan where we are going to stream and what time we would stream.
Now that the popularity of vine has basically switched over to Tic Tok, you can definitely see all the older people finding their place on the app, meaning that I’m sure it will be used in the same journalistic sense that vine was.
Last year or so there was the giraffe birth that kept people captive on live for at least a month. It’s amazing how some people will check in to something like that and will find a new community to exchange with. I personally am not a huge fan of live video, even if I see that a favorite celebrity of mine is live on Instagram or such, I’ll scroll right past the notification. I would rather have the control to slide through the content if it’s a video and see it quickly if it’s a photo.
I feel I would not be interesting enough and wouldn’t have enough to say to do my own live stream just for the fun of it currently, but maybe if I found myself at a pivotal event. But my mind honestly wouldn’t go to live first, it would probably be a video that I could share or watch later. Having live video in journalism is definitely beneficial because it’s like a live broadcast but from a more personable level. There’s no fancy equipment or someone introducing the topic. It’s just a person with a phone showing you the current status of something.
I think a live stream for our arts blog could be a performance or a walkthrough of an art gallery (though that could be cool as a 360 video). You would definitely need to make sure it’s not just a video anyone could get at a concert with your voice singing along louder than the band but framing it and making sure it’s lit well could help people who couldn’t be there. We do this for the concert band performance every spring so parents who can’t drive to the CAC can easily get on Facebook and watch like they’re there, and comment “That’s my baby!”
At my undergraduate newspaper, we used livestreams for breaking news. Homecoming King and Queen winner, spring concert announcement, SGA election results and things like that, where we knew there would be breaking news we always tried to live stream. Of course, you cannot always predict breaking news, so it was a little hard to do even one or two live streams every month. In terms of broadcast, however, livestreaming seems like a natural progression. At the student TV station at my undergrad, they steamed each show live on Facebook, and it worked pretty well. I also interned at a local TV station and they would always have the anchors livestream on Facebook before they went on air to give a preview of what stories they were going to show. I think there are very clear journalistic applications for livestreaming and I believe that a lot of outlets may start to do more.
In terms of our group blog, I think it might be really cool if we could try and livestream something that was like an actual depiction of what a party at WVU is like. Logistically this would probably be a nightmare because I doubt there would be many house parties or bars/clubs open to having all their activities broadcast live, but I do think it would be a cool look into what the actual culture at WVU is like. That’s something that I’m sure a lot of people both outside and inside the university have either never experienced first hand or know much about.
I’m familiar with live streams, and have used it a couple times on my personal Instagram. I’ve only watched Instagram and Facebook live streams. I always see public figures or News outlets use live streaming.
I didn’t know that vine was used by journalists. I think that’s pretty cool and a good idea since we have such short attention spans. In regards to the group blogs I feel like a cool idea would be if we were to attend a day party or a bar and live stream what’s happening there. It would be cool to see the atmosphere and show it to the people streaming.
I remember actively watching those 6-second science Vines back when the app was still a giant. Yet, through its rise and fall I never truly noticed people using it for journalistic purposes– and I think the reason why is because it was disguised so well. I think when using apps like Vine or Periscope (also r.i.p.) the most successful ones deliver news without it being framed as in your face journalism. When using apps with a younger percentage of users it incredible how people figure out ways to present the news in a youthful, masked way. Take Snapchat’s news section or even those live-streams of bird for example, both are delivering news or “journalism” in untraditional mediums yet pulling in large viewers in the process. I think it would be interesting to see how to apply this to Arts in Appalachia without falling into the “I am reporting” air to it. I think our podcast is a great start at doing just that.
As for live-streaming, I use it where I work, the Launchlab, to stream events or pitch competitions. Yet the time we used it most creatively was last spring during Demo Day. This was an all day, all over both campuses event, so to show off all that was happening me and my fellow co-workers live-streamed in different locations, and sometimes while more than one event was happening at a time. This compensated for how expansive the event was and allowed viewers to see how much was happening right on their phone screens. Live-streams are a serious tool that delivers the news straight to the user in real time and can hold some serious firepower when broadcasting some disguised journalism.
When I was apart of the WVU competitive cheer team, I was in charge of all of our social media and I used instagram and facebook live all of the time. It was a way to get the public to see what skills we were working on and to talk to recruits. I think live streaming has become a very popular form of media because it gives the audience a more personal appeal. I see people going live all the time. It is a great journalism tool for news stories, especially for my generation who probably dont sit down in front of a TV and watch the news. Before this assignment, I never really thought about using Vine for journalism purposes because of the time restriction, but it was interesting to see how people made it work.
It was really interesting to read about how journalists used vine, because before this I never thought of it as a journalism tool. I have used livestream on my instagram and facebook accounts before. I intern at WBOY this semester and went out with a reporter one day. While were were covering an event happening, we live streamed on the facebook account. Which was really cool to watch livestreaming be used in the professional journalism world. For our group blog, it would be cool to live stream how these day drinks are leaving trash everywhere. I live on sunnyside, and I can’t even walk to class without finding glass or beer cans all over the ground. It would also be cool to live stream the duck rentals downtown, or even get live stream showing how mistreated these ducks are when students rent them.
When remembering Vine, may she rest easy and peacefully, I never think of the fact that it was used as a journalistic tool. For me, it was always general weirdness, and the “Road work ahead? Yeah, I sure hope it does,” Vine on infinite loop. Looking back now though, the app captured some pretty iconic moments that really are considered as journalism now. It wasn’t just funny jokes, but snippets from protests, behind the scenes sneak peaks, and politicians and other celebrities sending messages (even if they were only for 6 seconds).
I’ve livestreamed on Facebook multiple times, and each time was to promote a theatrical production that I was a part of at the time. It was a really neat way to give people a backstage look into the show that they were going to see, and they always generated a lot of comments. Other than that, I’ve helped my mom do a Facebook live to show off products for a company she worked for. When it comes to the sorts of livestreams I watch, some of my favorite Youtubers have their own live shows on the sites platform, but I’ve never really ventured into watching Twitter or Instagram live streams for some reason.
In terms of a livestream for our group blog, I’ve seen a couple of my other group members talk about doing a stream of the streets after a big party or a “darty,” and I think that would be a great idea. Sunnyside and High Street would probably be the hottest spots to do this in, and I think it could really be impactful. Most people don’t realize that they’re littering when they’re partying, but seeing actual visuals of all of the trash that is hurting the environment after a wild night may be more sobering than anything. (I would say no pun intended, but that would be a lie).
When Vine (RIP) was in its prime, I never knew that journalists used the platform as a media tool. Aside from the brand promotions and funny/iconic videos, I can’t recall I time I noticed a news company utilize the app.
While I have never livestreamed, I have viewed various live videos. I have watched some of my favorite social media influencers go live on Instagram to review a product, I’ve tuned into debates and speaking events host by political organizations. At WVU, I have tuned into The DA’s SGA debate and results broadcast.
For my group blog, I believe it would be cool to capture the nightlife in various areas of Morgantown. We could look at the differences between Grant, Spruce, High Street, etc. and compare the party environments. However, that has the possibility of turning out like a hot mess.
I’ve never live streamed myself before, but I’ve watched and listened to them. I feel like it’s become a lot more popular in the last couple years thanks to instagram, youtube, and facebook live. For my personal blog, since its music focused; I think that live streaming a song when it comes out and giving initial feedback could be interesting. Just to share your first impressions and other aspects of the artist or the piece based off that specific moment.
Live streaming can definitely be applied to the practice of journalism, the first thing that comes to mind is sports coverage. I see a lot of professional sports live stream on social media all the time. I think it’s great for stuff like that, but there is risk involved. I feel the main problem is just that it’s truly “live”, there’s no room for error, it’s not like you can fix it in editing or anything like that.
I have never live streamed before but I can see how it is something that people enjoy doing. Instagram introduced a live streaming feature kinda recently and I think that it was been a success. It’s cool to be able to watch something in real time, as to seeing the video of it after it has happened. I think live streaming has benefited the gaming community the most. Gamers who stream to twitch or youtube do it for hours, and I’m pretty sure they make a good amount of money from it.
I think that livestreaming would be interesting for our group blog. Live streaming is the raw footage of what is happening in a point in time, which I think adds a more legit feel to whatever you are trying to portray. For example, live streaming a day party would be a good way to show exactly what we are talking about with WVU’s party reputation. It wouldn’t be hard to do, someone could just bring their phone to the party and stream it to instagram, people do it all the time.
I personally have never livestreamed before. I haven’t really done anything worth it I guess. I would definitely want to try livestreaming. The only reason I could think to do so would be a podcast form. Some of the podcasts I regularly listen to will live stream the episodes either on an app or on YouTube. I think one problem is the content will be available online within hours. This means we probably don’t really set time aside to watch it live. I think livestreaming about our weekly posts could be a good idea. Basically what we did in class last week but stream live and then later post the video. We could come with notes to highlight/promote and maybe even discuss in depth our posts from the week. This could be done on Fridays or Sundays.
Live streaming is something i think is used more and more everyday. It gives people the sense they are actually there as someone is live streaming. For my group blog I would love to be able to lifestream a night out in morgantown. I will forever miss vine and i thought it was very interesting how they used it for journalism. I have never thought to do that. I have seen people do live stream for product giveaways and I also think its a very personal way to interact with viewers and show them something they may not get to see.