Relay is an engaging storytelling tool that communicates breaking news elements of an ongoing story to audiences in real time on Web and mobile environments. Real time reporting allows journalists to stream live mobile broadcasts (YouTube upload, Vimeo, LiveStream and other streaming technologies) and incorporate emailed-in content while engaging users through content submissions, alert sign-ups, interactive commenting, Twitter feeds, polls, etc. Multiple reporters can submit audio, video, text, and photo reports from the field while an Editor controls the experience by prioritizing reports and soliciting feedback from users. In this way, both journalists and users contribute to a developing story throughout the story’s lifecycle.
We focused in on four features that would make the product most useful to both our reporters and users during a breaking news or developing story situation:
- Mobile First Design and User Flow
- Speed Over Polish/Input Agnostic
- Connect Users To the Story Through Alerts
- User Engagement
For each breaking news item, an event is created that reporters and users can follow and contribute to. As new developments occur, additional cards appear in a timeline structure with the most recent stories available for users to view. Administrators can create events and assign users roles. Editors can create and edit events, assign reporters, publish and unpublish events, receive alerts, and moderate comments. Reporters can create and edit cards for the events for which they are authorized, moderate comments, and receive alerts. Users can comment on, share, and view published events.
Product Lead | Randy Abramson | rabramson@bbg.gov