Pushing Power to the People: The News Audiences Want, When and Where They Want It

The lead-up to this year’s presidential election has been riveting because it’s been anything but predictable. The personalities. The daily controversies. The “It’s 3 a.m.” attack ads. CNN.com Live, the news network’s multistream online video service, has been on the front lines of this unscripted drama, and Melissa Long serves as one of its key anchors. The service puts users in control by enabling them to choose which video streams they want to follow, whether it’s Barack Obama giving a speech on the economy or the latest Pentagon briefing on Iraq. Long also anchors Now in the News, a fast-paced hourly news update available online and to cell phone users. These jobs, in conjunction with CNN.com’s Your Voice initiative, allow Long to interact directly with users, and it’s this two-way conversation with the audience—including iReports from prospective voters—that is transforming election coverage. As the digital arm of CNN gears up for the Democratic and Republican conventions, we turned the tables on Long to get her take on this journalistic revolution in progress. LAPTOP: What do you think your Web-based audience is looking for from CNN.com Live as opposed to a traditional CNN newscast? Melissa Long: I think the audience is looking for variety, and that is what we provide. With traditional linear television, you have the option of watching what that news broadcast is showing you. With CNN.com Live, you often have four items to choose from. It could be a White House news briefing, it could be a Pentagon question/answer session, [or] a live breaking news event taking place in any corner of the globe. If there’s breaking news in the U.S. and Europe and Australia, we’ll be covering it all simultaneously for the users. They can click on the individual windows and decide what they want to watch. L: Do you see a difference in terms of how people are consuming media as you go from desktop use to cell phone use? ML: From mobile use, people are looking for quick updates. That’s why our Now in the News segment is essentially two minutes. You can get a quick headline on the major news events—usually four to five stories that are happening at that hour because we do hourly updates from the CNN.com studio. With CNN.com Live, I think people watch for much longer than two minutes. At the airport, I’ve had an e-mail from someone at home with the TV off, which is indicative of the power of the product. L: How has the Web changed the way cnn reports news? How are you getting your audience involved? ML: iReport, which is CNN’s revolutionary initiative, is essentially citizen journalism at its best. We’re covering politics from the campaign trail. We have the opportunity to talk to voters about their experiences in the voting booth or at rallies. It’s a chance to hear from people. We talk to people who are first-time voters, people who are upset about the lack of organization at the caucuses in their particular location, and people who just love meeting with candidates. They took pictures of the candidates and want to share them. L: What is your take on the YouTube debates? Do you think it forces candidates to answer questions more directly and honestly, or is it just a novel new format? ML: They have an obligation to really speak to the person who asks the question because that person is in the audience. We had people contribute who were talking about being through chemotherapy or being in a lesbian relationship, and they asked the candidate, “What do you think, should we be able to get married?” It really puts the candidates on the spot and makes them answer honestly. L: What sort of gadgets or mobile tech do you use to make your job easier when you’re on the go? ML: I couldn’t do my job without a laptop because I have to be able to see our product, our player, and I have to be able to see what our users are seeing so I have the experience along with them. I also need to access our election system, where we stay up-to-the-minute with the results from the respective polling locations. I’m constantly refreshing that. I hate to admit that I could not function without my BlackBerry. I also carry a personal digital camera with me to document what I’m seeing. It is an historic election year for so many reasons, and I have a front-row seat. When I have a moment, I’ll snap a picture for my personal photo album. L: Do you think the ubiquity of the Internet fuels controversies like Obama’s “bitter” comments any more than cable news’ 24/7 cycle? ML: It makes a story live a little longer. At the same time, though, the candidates are reaping the rewards of the Internet because of the amount of money—incredible money—they have been able to raise online. It’s very much a double-edged sword in this case. L: Where do you think we are on the adoption curve of people getting their news online? ML: We grow viewers one by one. I love when I start to see people that log on day after day or special event after special event. I know they’re doing this because of the initiative Your Voice, where people can write in and submit their thoughts, observations, and complaints. I love that we’re so interactive and we’re building a core base of viewers. We’re doing something that’s never been done before, so it’s fun to have them along for the ride. L: How have you evolved as an anchor and reporter as a result of the Internet’s impact? ML: My background is in local news, so in local news I was an anchor and reporter, and our format was very scripted. I love the flexibility we have. I love that there are times when we don’t have a single script and we have to go with news hot off the press or an e-mail that comes in on the BlackBerry or laptop. I’ve had to adapt, but in a good way. I love the uncertainty of our product and I love that it’s under the CNN umbrella, and we all know that we have to respect the rules of journalism.