NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — While the world started to open in 2021, broadcast media still faced myriad challenges. Journalists continued to work with smaller crews, navigate travel restrictions, and work around limited access to locations. Combined with limited staffing resources post-pandemic, the ability to quickly get news crews to cover simultaneous news stories in different locations remains difficult.
However, Stringr’s cloud-based video platform and freelance videographer network was able to help more than 1,000 broadcasters expand their newsgathering efforts to instantly cover diverse geographic locations.
The Growth of Hyper-local Content Gathering
2021 remote video sourcing usage across the Stringr platform shows how 1,000 global broadcast customers are requesting more and more super local content.
Customers leveraging Stringr’s cloud-based remote video sourcing to help extend the reach of both their in-house editorial and field production teams increased 276% year-over-year. And these requests were not simply to cover major events in metropolitan areas. In 2021, Stringr’s customers sourced videos across 206 DMAs in the United States and 20 countries globally.
This increase of footage from local and remote locations was not limited to just recorded content. The surge of remote live production during the pandemic continued to increase. Stringr has seen an exponential 738% increase in live streams and live pool feeds through the platform since pre-pandemic usage to present day.
“Our clients need to cover significantly greater and greater geographic areas with the same or – in some cases – reduced staff,” said Christina Thomas, Stringr VP Broadcast Sales. “By leveraging the vast Stringr network and the content we source and curate for them, our clients can instantly expand their reach when needed, and get local content that’s really relevant to viewers. We’re basically their on-call, embedded news gathering team.”
Growth in Local Weather Coverage
In July, Stringr unveiled The Weather Feed, its National Weather Service integrated system that streamlines video newsgathering for severe weather events. Developed for use with Stringr’s proprietary network of 120,000 independent videographers, the Stringr Weather Feed automatically issues local requests for footage where the NWS has issued severe weather warnings. Within minutes, videographers in the local area can capture video right on location and any Stringr customer can use the content in their coverage. This year, the Stringr platform has handled over 55,000 local weather-related video requests – both direct from customers and through the automated Weather Feed.
“It’s a great idea and it really works. We’ve already seen a big increase in the amount of weather content Stringr is able to offer. It’s definitely working to our advantage,” said Tom Lea, Vice President, Newsgathering at The Weather Channel.
Video Sourcing Streamlines Workflow and Increases Content Options
Stringr not only proactively curated existing video content for customers based on breaking news events to help streamline their workflow and expand their reach, but also created over 1,000 unique packaged stories covering events – such as the special series on the anniversary of 9-11 – with thoughtful editorial pieces from across the United States to use to augment their own local reporting. Combined with the raw footage available on the platform, customers can now access 1.2 million (and growing) videos in the Stringr library.
One major highlight of 2021 was how Stringr engaged seasoned videographers from its network in Tokyo to gather footage in advance of the summer Olympics. Even before the opening ceremony, Stringr had thousands of videos available specific to the 2021 games – making it easier for producers to create original news segments even though travel to Japan was so extremely limited and access to Olympic venues was even more limited. Because of Stringr’s international network of videographers and Stringr’s skilled in-house production team, customers had instant access to live pool feeds, real-time b-roll, and packaged content such as exclusive interviews with athletes from their local hometowns that newsrooms couldn’t otherwise get.
“The pressures placed on the modern-day newsroom are greater than ever, and I am so happy we are here to help ease these pressures for our customers – giving them geographic freedom for newsgathering while also being the force multiplier that scales up or down with the demands of any given day,” said Lindsay Stewart, Co-Founder and CEO of Stringr. “We are here to continue to grow with them, helping them cover news and events that are critical for maintaining a real relationship with viewers.”
To learn more about Stringr or to get a demonstration of what online video sourcing can mean for newsgathering efforts, visit http://www.stringr.com.
About Stringr
Founded in 2014, Stringr is the first and only company to combine remote, original footage sourcing with video editing and management tools; thereby streamlining video news production for the digital age. Stringr has given its cloud-based video platform unparalleled reach by pairing it with a proprietary network of 120,000+ videographers who are stationed in all 50 states, all US DMAs, and top international locations. In addition, Stringr’s newly optimized creator platform, Iconiq, puts these newsroom-honed tools in the hands of marketers, corporate content specialists, and entertainment professionals. Backed by investors Thomson Reuters and Associated Press, Stringr’s award-winning platform continues to change the way video content is sourced, created, and managed across multiple industries. For more information visit http://www.stringr.com
Media Contacts:
Heath Fradkoff, Communications
heath@stringr.com
Claudia Barbiero, VP Marketing
claudia@stringr.com
Media Contact
Heath Fradkoff, Ward 6 Marketing, +1 (617) 461-8177, heath@ward6marketing.com
SOURCE Stringr
