The Future of Online News Video

Abstract

The last few years have seen an explosion of online video, driven by technical improvements, initiatives from platforms like Facebook, and investment by media companies in new visual storytelling formats. But to what extent are consumers embracing news video? Is this an incremental addition to the digital landscape or another fundamental disruption requiring urgent and immediate action? In this Reuters Institute report, we combine data on video consumption and production from a number of key sources with more than 30 interviews from news organisations across Europe and North America.

So far, the growth around online video news seems to be largely driven by technology, platforms, and publishers rather than by strong consumer demand. Having said that, interest in video news does increase significantly when there is a big breaking news. We find varying approaches to resourcing and organising online video news production. However, most news organisations are in an experimental phase; they are nervous about the significant investment required, the difficulty of scaling video, and the uncertain path to commercial return.

Keywords: online news video, news video consumption, news video production, news video monetization