Emerging Storytelling for an Emerging World
TV’s vs. Phones
In the 21st century, a world where everything is constantly at your fingertips, most people don’t sit down in front of the television to watch the news anymore. As a child, it was a daily tradition to sit in front of the TV with my mom at 10pm every night and watch PIX 11 news. Nothing else could be going on at 10pm because my mom HAD to watch the news.
Now, there’s a myriad of other ways to get your news. A lot of those are just sitting in your hand, waiting to be clicked on. Social videos have largely taken over Twitter and Facebook as yet another new way to get information across in a world with short attention spans. Companies like Vice, AJ+, and Mic have become front runners in this quirky, millennial based video style. Social videos tell the stories that you would usually hear on the afternoon or evening news, just at your fingertips and not at all behind a desk.
This video below from AJ+ is a prime example.
Note the music. Kitchy, montage-y, and something that’s very reminiscent for me of a nickelodeon show. The text font is big and bold and colorful, like a commercial trying to get you to buy something. There isn’t even a real person talking to you. All the information you need comes with fun animation added to the sentences. It’s very much a way to get news across to those who might not be inclined to sit in front of their television to get information.
Compare that to a clip from a more traditional news network like PIX 11 in New York and you get a very different feeling.
There’s no music. The reporters are sitting behind a desk, most likely reading from a teleprompter. While they’re pretty relaxed and easy going, it does feel a little more “staged” than the previous video. There’s clearly a set structure here that the reporters have to stick to. When the edited video begins, there’s a narrator instead of text. Live interviews are also a much bigger part of typical broadcast videos. Other than the social video where all the information was relayed in text, in a broadcast video you get multiple people speaking to you about the topic in different perspectives.
Social videos, while quick, interesting ways to get information that you may be looking for, are not my usual cup of tea. The main distinguisher in a social video is the way it appeals to your eye and your ear. There’s typically music that immediately sets the tone for the topic, and large words in bold colors. It’s just sensory overload. I don’t need my news to yell at me. I will however, watch one if I’m curious about the topic, because it’s the quickest way to get informed. I’m sure they’re the most fun, creative outlet to edit, but social videos tend to be too much for me on a regular basis.
Broadcast videos, although traditional, and in some cases, boring, are also far more tame. It may be because I grew up watching typical broadcast videos, but it’s what I prefer. I also enjoy the sound of an actual person relaying the news to me. However, broadcast videos do have the tendency to be quite long. When you get the opinions of multiple people, it tends to take a while. Broadcast videos also can be very corny and cringeworthy. There’s a myriad of “dad jokes” and awkward interviews from people who may not be the most comfortable in front of a camera.
While they both clearly have their pros and cons, it all comes down to personal preference. The beauty of an emerging world of media is that there is never a lack of ways to get information. Anyone who wants to find news, has an endless field of options right at their fingertips whenever they need it.
