How can journalists use live streaming to create engaging digital content?

1 Choose your platform

There are many platforms that offer live streaming services, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. Each one has its own features, benefits, and limitations, so you need to choose the one that suits your goals, audience, and resources. For example, Facebook Live has a large and diverse reach, but it also has strict rules on content moderation and copyright. YouTube Live has more options for monetization and analytics, but it also requires more technical skills and equipment. Twitter Live is ideal for short and fast updates, but it has less interactivity and quality. Instagram Live is popular for casual and personal streams, but it has limited duration and format. Twitch is mainly for gaming and entertainment, but it also has a loyal and engaged community.

2 Plan your content

Before you go live, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, what you want to say, and how you want to say it. You need to research your topic, verify your sources, and prepare your script or outline. You also need to decide on the format, style, and tone of your stream, whether it is a solo report, a panel discussion, a Q&A session, or a behind-the-scenes tour. You need to consider the length, timing, and frequency of your stream, as well as the potential challenges and risks that might arise. You need to have a backup plan in case of technical issues, interruptions, or emergencies.

3 Engage your audience

One of the main advantages of live streaming is that it allows you to interact with your audience in real time. You can ask them questions, answer their comments, solicit their feedback, and acknowledge their support. You can also use polls, quizzes, surveys, and contests to increase their participation and retention. However, you also need to be careful about how you manage your audience, as not all of them will be respectful, constructive, or relevant. You need to set clear rules and boundaries, moderate your chat, and deal with trolls, spammers, and haters.

4 Ensure quality and accuracy

Live streaming is a challenging medium for journalists, as it requires them to balance speed and accuracy, spontaneity and professionalism, and creativity and ethics. You need to ensure that your stream has good audio and video quality, as well as stable internet connection and battery life. You need to use appropriate equipment, software, and apps that suit your needs and budget. You also need to check your facts, sources, and permissions before you go live, and correct any mistakes or misinformation as soon as possible. You need to follow the journalistic standards and codes of conduct, such as fairness, balance, objectivity, and transparency.

5 Promote and repurpose your stream

Live streaming is not a one-off event, but a part of your digital content strategy. You need to promote your stream before, during, and after it happens, using your website, social media, email, and other channels. You need to create catchy titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and hashtags that attract and inform your audience. You also need to monitor and measure your stream's performance, using metrics such as views, watch time, comments, likes, shares, and subscribers. You can use this data to improve your future streams, as well as to repurpose your stream into other formats, such as articles, podcasts, videos, or infographics.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?