Reuters readies TV app for smartphones and tablets

The Reuters TV app will deliver the day’s most important and interesting news through "fast-paced and urgent" video segments covering everything from politics to pop culture for English-speaking viewers around the world. It will provide opportunities for Reuters journalists to develop new multi-media skills. 

“This is a significant project and we are looking to take full advantage of all of the assets we already have within Reuters, including tapping some of our internal video talent from Insider to support this new, innovative initiative,” editor-in-chief Stephen Adler told staff. It will be launched later this year and sold by subscription. Some positions have already been filled and there will be a number of additional roles posted as well.

“Reuters journalists will be the lifeblood of Reuters TV and will determine its success," Adler said. "We’ll be teaming up text, Reuters Video News, photos and digital video, to cover the important stories of the day. Of these, some will include ‘pieces-to-camera’ (sometimes called ‘stand-ups’), which means reporters will appear in, and narrate, the video. The rest will be produced by the Reuters TV production teams in the three regional hubs.”

Adler said there would be a two-way flow of ideas, both pitches from bureaus and requests from regional news hubs in New York, Washington, London and Singapore to bureaus. All ideas will flow through text editors designated as “video champions” in each region, to be named by the three regional editors. “We will use Reuters most compelling RVN agency footage and draw on the expertise of text correspondents in front of the camera. We will have teams of producers in London, New York, Washington and Hong Kong ready to help craft scripts, to advise on sound bites appropriate for each piece and to help with the pieces-to-camera. All of the material will be edited together in London, New York and Hong Kong.”

Almost always, the stories selected for Reuters TV will be those that bureaus are already writing and filming, Adler said. “However, the most compelling stories of each day already put considerable time pressure on bureau chiefs, reporters and RVN television crews. Therefore, hub editors, RVN editors-of-the-day and bureau chiefs must plan this into the workflow for each story selected.”

Regional editors in conjunction with the Reuters TV editors have outlined a process and workflow guide.

An active pilot is already under way, and production will be ramped up over the coming months, Adler said. He added:

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity, but it will take teamwork across the entire Editorial organization to be a success.” ■