BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Each Monday, Bulletproof Blog now features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This series provides insights on current communications challenges, how best to deal with them, and what we can expect down the road. This week, we feature Scott Broom, Digital Correspondent for Washington D.C.' s CBS affiliate WUSA-TV.

Mr. Broom is a new breed of journalist tasked with accelerating the industry's shift from traditional television news broadcasting to high-volume web-based, video, and text communications. An expert in how digital media are changing the local TV news landscape, he shared his thoughts with us:

Given the recent troubles that have befallen print journalism in the digital age, how is TV news evolving to meet the needs of a shifting media landscape?

Scott Broom: As "big print" collapses, TV operations believe they have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to compete as the dominant media force in their markets.

One evolution is the "information center" concept. This is a web-first philosophy that is designed to make the TV station the primary source of highly-localized, moment-to-moment text, graphic, and video news online as well as on television.

Because searchability is such an important part of cutting through the clutter of cyberspace - and because search engines put such a premium on newness and traffic - we know that a constant flow of new updates and content is absolutely essential to survival in the digital age.

This is one reason interactivity with users through Twitter, blogging, and other social networking tools is encouraged for all our reporters. User comments and submissions of photos and videos are all sources of "new" searchable content. The importance of interactivity was underlined when the first pictures of the "Miracle on the Hudson" landing came via a cell phone camera and Twitter. Meanwhile, our station culls the highest-interest and most visual content flowing through the information center for use in its traditional flagship television broadcasts.

As a reporter for a leading local news network, what does a story need to have to pique your interest and that of your viewers in this new environment? Are there specific elements that you look for when deciding what is newsworthy and what isn' t?

Scott Broom: Here is my list in order of importance: local, timely, surprising, visual, compelling, and "news you can use."

In addition, there is a huge demand for stories that are likely to produce more "new" or "breaking" developments - anything that will repeatedly engage online users throughout the entire day is a hot commodity. In this regard, quickly placing a client as an "expert" to comment on events of the day can be as effective as it always has.

There is also demand for stories with linkable, interactive "news you can use" elements - such as a mortgage calculator for a report on falling interest rates.

The reason that most pitches end up in the "delete" folder is a failure to provide local, real-world context. For instance, I was recently pitched on behalf of a law firm's divorce expert regarding how the real estate crisis has couples fighting over who "doesn't" get the house. That' s great story - but not without a couple willing to be interviewed in front of a home. The firm couldn't produce one - and, thus, got no story.

What' s next in local television news? Are there developments on the horizon that communications professionals should be aware of?

Scott Broom: I'm a prime example of what's next. After 25 years as a traditional "coat-and-tie" TV reporter, I'm now what WUSA-TV in Washington calls a "Digital Correspondent."

The crew is gone. I work alone, shooting and editing my own video. I write and deliver content on all platforms all the time. I file text, video, and photo updates to the Internet throughout the day via wireless broadband. I twitter my followers when anything new occurs to drive traffic.

Oh, and by the way, I appear on camera, often live, and almost always in multiple broadcasts. Later, I may blog in an effort to solicit feedback with additional information that might result in follow-up content.

If it sounds insanely busy, it is. This is one reason communications professionals need to have messages and clients more sharply focused than ever. There is very little time for "context."

If I had to pick one development that is most important to communications professionals, however, it is to understand your adversary' s ability to undermine a positive report with the instant feedback we encourage. On many TV outlets, feedback offered in the form of tweets will even be used on the air.