Continuous News is the constant posting of information on a website as it evolves in the newsroom, filtered and chosen by journalists. We do it in this way, rather than waiting for reporters or producers to assemble it into a more finished form in a newspaper style. It is the publication of news and information, often with a “voice” that reflects the writer.
Continuous News is published in a chronological format – known as “The River of News” or “News River.” The story that is in the “lead” position of the River is the story that is most recent.
Continuous News is the opposite of Finished Product News, which isn’t posted until it is packaged. Finished Product News is the complete packaging of a story, usually following a day’s worth of reporting. Continuous News is ongoing and recognizes that the Web audience wants – and deserves – regularly updated pieces of information throughout the day.
With Continuous News, we earn our credibility by reflecting the needs of our audience. Search is critical, so we have a site optimized for it. Scanning comes next, so we make sure the site is scannable. Audience empowerment is also a critical factor, so we report the important stories and let the audience decide which is the “lead” in their lives. All of these factors add to a station’s credibility.
Our culture is changing. Public radio is still successful, but needs to find new ways to deliver high-quality content.
Tags: continuous news, river of news
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