Wednesday, November 08, 2006
CBS News Revamps Web Site, Adding Critical Blog and Videos
CBS has recently set out to revive and update there website which is CBSNews.com.
As part of an ambitious attempt to update there website they have had a broad array of free video news produced just for its website, according to CBS. CBS also stated that they would introduce a Web Log to comment on CBS's newscasts, both online and on air.
In the article it states that Vaughn Ververs, who had been the editor of Hotline, a website covering politics, the new blog, called Public Eye, will assemble questions from viewers, criticism from blogs and other sources, and immediately bring in reactions from the CBS newsroom.
Mr. Ververs will be able to interview CBS correspondents and executives and even bring cameras into the network's daily news meetings.
According to CBS, they have decided to treat its website much the way other networks treat their cable networks. Its correspondents and producers will create video news reports throughout the day that will be distrubuted only on its website. In addition, web users will be able to see most of the breaking news reports used on the networks daily broadcasts, though they will not be able to watch the entire programs.
CBS will NOT be hiring new reporters for this effort, but it is doubling the staff of its Internet news division to 60 people from 30 so it can edit and produce the new video segments. This will cost several million dollars a year.
As part of an ambitious attempt to update there website they have had a broad array of free video news produced just for its website, according to CBS. CBS also stated that they would introduce a Web Log to comment on CBS's newscasts, both online and on air.
In the article it states that Vaughn Ververs, who had been the editor of Hotline, a website covering politics, the new blog, called Public Eye, will assemble questions from viewers, criticism from blogs and other sources, and immediately bring in reactions from the CBS newsroom.
Mr. Ververs will be able to interview CBS correspondents and executives and even bring cameras into the network's daily news meetings.
The move comes after the credibility of CBS News was called into question last fall when it broadcast a report that President Bush had inappropriately used political influence to escape National Guard duty. It later acknowledged that the report was based on documents it could not authenticate.
The announcement of wider online efforts for CBS News also provides it with what Larry Kramer, the president of CBS Digital Media, called a "cable news bypass." CBS does not have the broader outlet for its news gathering available to rivals like NBC and Fox, which also run cable news networks.
"It is clear to us that the public has moved to the Internet as the place they go when they want to get information because they can get the news whenever they want it and how they want it," Mr. Kramer said.
According to CBS, they have decided to treat its website much the way other networks treat their cable networks. Its correspondents and producers will create video news reports throughout the day that will be distrubuted only on its website. In addition, web users will be able to see most of the breaking news reports used on the networks daily broadcasts, though they will not be able to watch the entire programs.
CBS will NOT be hiring new reporters for this effort, but it is doubling the staff of its Internet news division to 60 people from 30 so it can edit and produce the new video segments. This will cost several million dollars a year.
For years, every television news organization has made some video news available over the Internet, but their approaches have varied. CBS and NBC have mainly offered free video with advertising. ABC and CNN have charged fees for their videos, but last month CNN reversed course to make most of its video free in an effort to tap into the growing market for Internet video advertising.
Technology improvements and the widespread adoption of high-speed connections have made the experience of watching video on computer screens far more satisfying. And as the audience for Internet video grows, advertisers have embraced the new online video services as new outlets for their television commercials.
