Video Glitches a Hurdle for Online News
Posted on July 20th, 2014 in Journalism, Marketing, Publishing, Social Media, Technology with 1 Comment
By Stu Robinson,
More and more, online news sites seem compelled to package video with written articles.
While the theory may have merit, the reality brings problems that can repel the audience a news app or website hopes to attract.
Among them:
- Video that not only takes time to load but also has a herky-jerky effect on the rest of the page, making it hard to read the written story in the interim.
- A video window that appears frozen or fails to activate, then kicks in with loud audio once the consumer has paged down into the article. This interrupts the reader, practically forcing him or her to quickly find the audio controls or catch up on video that’s already in progress.
- The headline and article take one angle on the story, but the packaged video is related only tangentially – or not at all. Or, it’s simply raw video with no explanation of what is being shown.
The common theme in these scenarios is how off-putting they are to the intended audience.
One goes to an online news app or website to find out what’s going on. What’s the point of cramming video into the package if it becomes more a hurdle for the viewer than an enhancement?
There is no question that some stories are better told with video. But those are the minority, and they benefit from a skilled producer who can package them properly. Unless a clip is truly compelling, news organizations shouldn’t try to cram video into every story package.
For a generation or more, it was easier to take news passively from television than actively by reading a newspaper. The emerging digital age has turned that on its head. Online video packages are more glitchy and time consuming – a pain in the neck – than simple prose.
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Stuart J. Robinson practices writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.
COMMENTS
Sue robin
I feel the same way and find them annoying.