THE FUTURE OF
JOURNALISM IS LIVE
How a legacy newspaper became
a video broadcasting powerhouse
When Micah Gelman first arrived at The Washington Post in 2015, live video was not a key focus. Gelman had been brought on to oversee video—part of a broader effort to expand to become a robust digital publication accessible to readers around the country. Yet at the time, there wasn’t a defined vision for what it would mean for The Post to broadcast live events. That all changed a year later, after the news organization partnered with Univision to host a live Democratic primary debate, and after that, live election night coverage.
“We sat down after that and said, you know, this is a skillset we should build,” said Gelman, the director of editorial video and a senior editor at The Post. “This is a value we think we can provide our subscribers.”
Six years later, Gelman now oversees a team of about 65 video journalists across the country, many of whom are dedicated to producing live coverage of breaking news and major events. It’s the realization of a paradigm shift in how The Post engages and informs its readers—one inspired by an industry-wide evolution in journalism consumption. These days, the news cycle moves faster than ever before. And audiences are hungry for stories that are both visual and immediate. Live video delivers on both.
“As our subscribers get younger, it’s really important that we tell stories in the way that they like to receive them,” Gelman said. “When a news event is unfolding, we should be the destination for that story.”
In meeting this demand, The Post has made live video fundamental to its DNA. This years-long transformation is in part the result of ambitious newsroom planning and investments. Yet the day-to-day execution of the strategy has been made possible by a set of technologies often taken for granted: next-generation wireless infrastructure. In the years to come, wireless tech is set to serve as the very foundation for ongoing innovation in this increasingly vital medium.
“The full portfolio of solutions that we offer, ranging from mobile connectivity to private cellular networks gives journalists the foundation to pave the path for the industry,” said Robert Boyanovsky, vice president – mobility, IoT and 5G, AT&T Business. “We do expect 5G will play a significant role in video reporting going forward.”
“As our subscribers get younger, it’s really important that we tell stories in the way that they like to receive them,” Gelman said. “When a news event is unfolding, we should be the destination for that story.”
In meeting this demand, The Post has made live video fundamental to its DNA. This years-long transformation is in part the result of ambitious newsroom planning and investments. Yet the day-to-day execution of the strategy has been made possible by a set of technologies often taken for granted: next-generation wireless infrastructure. In the years to come, wireless tech is set to serve as the very foundation for ongoing innovation in this increasingly vital medium.
“The full portfolio of solutions that we offer, ranging from mobile connectivity to private cellular networks gives journalists the foundation to pave the path for the industry,” said Robert Boyanovsky, vice president – mobility, IoT and 5G, AT&T Business. “We do expect 5G will play a significant role in video reporting going forward.”
LIVE VIDEO IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
The Post had long planned for 2020 to be a busy year for live video. That effort became a bit more challenging with the emergence of the coronavirus. Live video, after all, is a medium that relies on reporters being on location, and producers and editors operating in close proximity in control room settings. Yet even with recommended social distancing measures and the newsroom working remotely, The Post forged ahead with its commitment to expand live video coverage. Over the past year, the video team has reported on key news moments, including the ongoing covid response, the first SpaceX launch, the presidential election, the storming of the Capitol and two impeachment trials.
Wireless technology was critical to executing these projects. Within days of the stay-at-home order, for example, the video team was able quickly to spin up a three-times-a-week, live Q&A broadcast for reporter Libby Casey, who anchored the program from her home—all with the help of an AT&T Business 5G-enabled Samsung phone.
During the broadcast, The Post was able to field viewers’ questions about the lockdown and the pandemic as the emergency was first unfolding. In this case and others, AT&T Business wireless technology provided the type of reliable connectivity required to deliver live video, particularly when by necessity the team is distributed in different locations.
“The enemy of live video is an unstable internet connection—predictability is required,” said Boyanovsky. “AT&T is bringing new capabilities with video uplink that offer not only faster speeds, but more consistency.”
The use of AT&T Business technology to support Casey’s show is indicative of the benefits of wireless innovation. It used to be that if you wanted to do a live broadcast, you had to bring a satellite truck or a microwave truck, which could be logistically challenging, limiting and prohibitively expensive, Gelman explained.
During the broadcast, The Post was able to field viewers’ questions about the lockdown and the pandemic as the emergency was first unfolding. In this case and others, AT&T Business wireless technology provided the type of reliable connectivity required to deliver live video, particularly when by necessity the team is distributed in different locations.
“The enemy of live video is an unstable internet connection—predictability is required,” said Boyanovsky. “AT&T is bringing new capabilities with video uplink that offer not only faster speeds, but more consistency.”
The use of AT&T Business technology to support Casey’s show is indicative of the benefits of wireless innovation. It used to be that if you wanted to do a live broadcast, you had to bring a satellite truck or a microwave truck, which could be logistically challenging, limiting and prohibitively expensive, Gelman explained.
“The real revolution in technology over the last decade or so has been to be able to be much more mobile, much more flexible,” Gelman said. “There are always situations where it's important to have a satellite truck or fiber connectivity, but it’s not the only thing available now.” Put simply, next-gen wireless technology has enabled The Post’s video team to be in more places, transmit more reliably and to do it more cost-effectively than ever before.
Another example of this advancement is in The Post’s utilization of what’s known as LiveU portable units. The mobile tool connects to the AT&T 5G network, allowing for live video transmission on the go. It has played a key role in enabling reporters to quickly dispatch to the scene of a story without the need for a large production truck. Using this technology, The Post reported from a number of key states during election night on November 3, including Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona.
“Flexibility is an enabler to innovation,” Boyanovsky said. “Having the ability to live stream directly from a camera to a server while in the field puts journalists more in control of their content.”
A NEW ERA IN BROADCAST STORYTELLING
As far as 2021 goes, Gelman expects it to take a different shape from the unprecedented news cycle of the previous year. “There are no elections really until the end of the year,” he said. “I think we’re all looking forward to some space launches. We’ll take it as it comes.”
Even as The Post begins planning a return to work in the newsroom, video journalists will continue to make use of LiveU portable units and 5G-enabled AT&T mobile devices to cover these stories. The video team will also use AT&T Business Global Video Services to provide the fiber connectivity needed in the control room to bring broadcast signals from around the globe into the building.
As 5G rolls out to more locations and coverage becomes more ubiquitous, the job of a video journalist should get more efficient too—at least where technology is concerned. Gelman looks forward to the day when, as crowds of people gather again, dead spots are a thing of the past.
This advancement in wireless infrastructure will provide the technical backbone for The Post’s live video team to continue to innovate—to find powerful new ways to broadcast the world’s most important stories.
“I do think there’s increasing demand for live video reporting,” Gelman said. “We’re on the cusp of a new era in live video storytelling for publishers.”
As 5G rolls out to more locations and coverage becomes more ubiquitous, the job of a video journalist should get more efficient too—at least where technology is concerned. Gelman looks forward to the day when, as crowds of people gather again, dead spots are a thing of the past.
This advancement in wireless infrastructure will provide the technical backbone for The Post’s live video team to continue to innovate—to find powerful new ways to broadcast the world’s most important stories.
“I do think there’s increasing demand for live video reporting,” Gelman said. “We’re on the cusp of a new era in live video storytelling for publishers.”
