The key change in news here from 15 years ago is producing'. That requires access to substantial and wide-ranging resources - access that must be fast and intuitive, and that allows journalists to achieve the creative results they desire without concern for the technicalities. How can we enable reporters and editors to work the way they prefer? And no less importantly, how can businesses be allowed to operate the way they prefer? That's what a modern solution for news production should deliver and what we analyze in this comprehensive article. In a world of so-called fake news' created by anyone with access to the Internet, it's too easy to forget the incredibly valuable role that professional, trained, responsible journalists play - not just in bringing us the real news, but also in uncovering truth. The famous story of Woodward and Bernstein - the young Washington Post reporters who were responsible for the Watergate story that saw the impeachment of President Nixon is an outstanding example of investigative, forensic journalism at its very best.
Things have moved on a long way since the early 1970s - in some ways for better, in some ways for worse. The fact that social media now drives so many news stories is, for many, for the worse. This has, in many ways, contributed to what might be called news overload': new news appears 24/7, and makes us weary - and hardened to stories that would once have touched our hearts.
On the upside, however, are the technology tools - tiny HD cameras, man-pack satellites and so on that have made it possible for journalists to bring us stories, complete with sound and images and in real time, from anywhere in the world. We no longer get reports about significant events: we can actually witness them.
Transforming what's possible And: it's not just out there on the ground' where technology has transformed what's possible in serious journalism. Take Newsroom Computer Systems, for example. Back in 2005, in this fascinating article, Adrian Scott asks: In an era when the rate of change in every other comparable area is increasing, can NRCS systems, and more importantly their users, afford to stay where they are? The answer, inevitably, is: No .
The NRCS world of 15 and more years ago that he describes is one of dumb terminals, clanking printers - and no direct connection with the broadcast chain. Scott also talks about an evolution in working practices - an evolution comparable, perhaps, to the evolution from CEOs dictating every communication to a secretary; today, the same CEOs think nothing of sending their own emails. The world in which we work has become less silo-ed' - and our jobs have changed to match that transition.
Today, journalists don't just hammer out some copy and send it into the system'. The role of a broadcast journalist, according to www.startintv.com, is to turn information into pictures and sound, both reporting and producing live and/or recorded packages. The key change here from 15 years ago is producing'. That requires access to substantial and wide-ranging resources - access that must be fast and intuitive, and that allows journalists to achieve the creative results they desire without concern for the technicalities. That's what a modern system for news production delivers.
VSN NewsConnect allows the enterprise to create their newsroom environment with the third-party systems that are best adapted to the needs of their specific TV channel or non-linear platform.
Improving efficiency and productivity - and much more Of course, everyone knows that it's important to keep creative people happy. Even more important, perhaps, is to keep the accountants happy. Any investment has to work, not just for the users, but also for the business. If there's no return on investment (ROI) and no positive impact on the bottom line, then perhaps the investment is not the right one?
In a dynamic, ever-changing landscape, one of the things that accountants dislike most is the thought of locking the company into something that may turn out not to work. That may be because an acquired solution is almost a fit for the business - but not quite. Or it may be that requirements change - but it's just too expensive to start all over again.
And that's where VSN NewsConnect, an HTML5 plugin for NRCS - comes in. It allows the enterprise to create their newsroom environment with the third-party systems that are best adapted to the needs of their specific TV channel or (MOS compatible) non-linear platform. It means that the organisation doesn't have to compromise or accept second best': it can put together the optimum system for its unique needs.
Cost-effective solution Of course, what that also means, by extension, is that if, at some point in the future the requirement changes then only part of the newsroom system needs to be replaced - not the whole thing. It might be that a new CG, NLE, video server, NRCS or whatever becomes available that's a better fit. VSN NewsConnect allows that piece of the system to be easily integrated - at, of course, far less expense than replacing the whole installation. That makes VSN NewsConnect a truly cost-effective solution - and accountants like cost-effective solutions.
VSN's news production solution in action, based on VSN NewsConnect plugin and its powerful integration capabilities.
NewsConnect allows users to create a news production environment specifically suited to their requirements, complementing and improving the media production workflow at any facility. It simplifies and increases the speed at which news is generated, and improves efficiency and productivity by eliminating the need for users to work with, and switch between, different tabs and interfaces, since all their tools can be accessed via the NRCS
