The New York Times. Four little words with such big meaning. Smart. Lengthy. Investigative. Incisive. Print. Paper. Irrelevant?
Mmmm, not so fast. While everyone is writing the obituary for the nation’s newspapers — and, to be fair, those same papers seem to be bleeding out for lack of revenue — some very smart decisions are being made about how to keep the New York Times relevant in a digital world; and video is helping to lead that evolution.
When the Times first began featuring video on its website, the result was less-than-effective. Nervous print reporters stood in front of cameras and haltingly talked about the story they were covering. That early training ground, however, proved only the first step into the paper’s digital transformation.
Today, the site is user-friendly, slick and captivating. In addition to the always flawless reporting and beautifully executed written copy, website visitors now encounter tightly produced videos presented in an easy-to-navigate user interface.
The length of the videos varies, and seems to be dictated by the story’s breadth and depth. Not all stories have a video element, but the ones that do have an impressive style and appeal. They are broadcast quality but, unlike broadcast, take the time to tell each story as it needs to be told.
This ability to capitalize on the Internet’s infinite availability of time may be a key element in the struggle to breathe life back into the nation’s leading newspapers. As long as the paper produces videos that capture the attention and imagination of viewers within the first 30 seconds, the patient just may have a chance at survival, after all.
