\u201cVideo is here. That\u2019s how most people are consuming content every day on their phone,\u201d said Mike Beaudet, a WCVB investigative reporter and Northeastern journalism professor who leads the project, in an interview. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of a leap of faith for TV stations, but what choice do they have? Do nothing, and literally lose your entire audience, or try to evolve with an audience and find a younger audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The report builds on the project\u2019s year-long fellowship, launched in 2023, that placed digital content producers at WCVB in Boston, WCBS-TV in New York, and WLS-TV in Chicago. The guide defines these producers as digital-first multimedia journalists who can both gather and produce stories aimed at younger audiences, while also helping coordinate digital strategy across the newsroom.<\/p>\n
When WCVB hired Leanna Scachetti for its one-year fellowship, the station saw its audiences across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram significantly increase. Following the fellowship, WCVB hired Scachetti for a full-time job as a digital content producer, and WCBS made the same move with its fellow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think every newsroom in America needs a position like this one,\u201d Scachetti said in the report. \u201cWe need somebody who has the time and the resources to really tap into what our audiences are consuming on digital platforms, how we can show up in those platforms, and continue to serve our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
In tandem with the fellowship program, the team at Northeastern partnered with the research company SmithGeiger Group to conduct a nationwide study of media habits among people ages 18-34. The results, released in last week\u2019s report, found that 75 percent of social media users surveyed were engaging with their preferred news source every day, but only 19 percent said TV was the right medium to get news from local stations.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the survey found that 96 percent of social video viewers were engaging further after watching, including seeking out other videos, sharing or liking content, or even turning on the TV. <\/p>\n
Those findings supported the report\u2019s recommendations to pivot to a digital-first strategy, but also underscored that TV news stations might be better equipped to meet the demand for video content online given their expertise in the medium. It also signaled a possibility for additional revenue streams \u2014 though stations have yet to find ways to generate significant income with social video.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it is brand building,\u201d Beaudet said. \u201cUntil we figure out monetization better, it really has to be looked at as part of your strategy, and getting your content in front of an audience that is not seeing it otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the guide offers a path forward for newsrooms, there are pitfalls. Media outlets two decades ago chased lucrative traffic<\/a> on social media platforms such as Twitter (now X) and Facebook that brought audiences to their sites, but those platforms later changed their algorithms in ways that cut off engagement<\/a>. The traffic decline has only accelerated thanks to the adoption of AI summaries by Google, which are throttling news outlets\u2019 search traffic<\/a>.<\/p>\n And in local TV news, many are already struggling. As advertising revenue dwindles and corporate owners seek to cut costs, many TV journalists have been laid off<\/a> or have left the business entirely due to burnout<\/a>, leaving existing staff with heavier workloads and further fueling the burnout cycle.<\/p>\n Beaudet recognizes that emphasizing social video isn\u2019t a fail-safe and that hiring an additional employee or adding responsibilities to staffs that are already stretched thin may be challenging. <\/p>\n But for the future of news, he believes it is necessary, as well as a ripe opportunity. A digital approach can give fatigued reporters new opportunities for storytelling beyond crime and traffic reports, and local news is still among the most trusted sources for information.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite all the challenges that the industry is facing, this needs to be a priority,\u201d he said. \u201cFor long-term sustainability, you really have to shift the structure.\u201d<\/p>\n Aidan Ryan can be reached at aidan.ryan@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @aidanfitzryan<\/a>.<\/p>\n