WFMY, the Gannett CBS affiliate in Greensboro, N.C, is taking its social media audience inside the story in the hopes that that content will drive viewership to its newscasts. “We’re looking for different audiences in different places with different tools,” said Larry Audas, the station’s general manager. Under the Twitter handle, #WFMYstory, the station creates […]
WFMY, the Gannett CBS affiliate in Greensboro, N.C, is taking its social media audience inside the story in the hopes that that content will drive viewership to its newscasts.
“We’re looking for different audiences in different places with different tools,” said Larry Audas, the station’s general manager.
Under the Twitter handle, #WFMYstory, the station creates special content specifically for social media that “rolls back the curtain” of the newsgathering process, from the editorial meetings to reporters’ reactions.
“It’s not in the newscast, it’s not ‘who, what, when’ type of content,” said Audas.
http://youtu.be/rGT9k7ohfhw
Morgan Hightower, a WFMY reporter for two years, has done a few of these behind-the story pieces. In one emotional #WFMYstory, Hightower is seen on-camera in the newsroom reacting to the news that a story she’s been covering for three weeks has had a terrible outcome.
“During that time, I got to know the friends and family,” said Hightower, “and you can’t not get emotionally involved when you get that close.”
http://youtu.be/AIxOurt1B8E
Dave Reeve, WFMY’s creative services director, said people on social media don’t want to be teased. “This is stand-alone content, off the cuff, more real, that lives by itself.”
He sees this approach as a way to “make news more relevant, show the real story, every side of it, so people care.”
Reeve said the station is following consumer behavior, saying “there’s greater reach on mobile devices than on primetime TV.”
He said that “depending on the audience flow,” the station will push out a #WFMYstory on Twitter during the day and Facebook in prime.
Here are a few more examples from #WFMYstory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hbmTIE6_OA&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIr091pXklI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPN2T0X2ofw&feature=youtu.be&list=UUV_xcchcvmgmzEJ1N5VL5qw
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