There’s no denying that the world we live in has become heavily influenced by social media and live streaming. With the launch of Periscope, I’ve noticed a change in the overall media landscape.
I recently attended the Periscope Summit in New York City where Periscope guru, Alex Pettitt discussed some of ways in which Periscope is changing how we get news and how “citizen journalists” are expected to play an important role.
Periscope quickly became the fastest growing social media outlet since Twitter purchased it for 100 million dollars six months ago. According to Pettitt, the live streaming video mobile app reached 1 million users in 7 days compared to Twitter and Facebook, which received that same amount within two years and 10 months respectively.
Now Periscope has over 15 million users with only 5% of 300 million active twitter accounts. So far, there have been about 60 million broadcasts and those numbers will likely continue to grow in the coming weeks.
That said, there has been a 17% decline in TV viewership by Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 from 2014 to 2015. Weekly viewing by this group has also declined 32% between 2011 and 2015. The drop in numbers has also led to a decline in ads sales for TV, according to Pettitt.
In fact, some of the people I met at the summit said they’ve cut the cord from their cable subscribers in favor of live streaming and have found other ways to watch the programs they enjoy.
In just a few months Periscope has changed the game in a major way. The app allows immediate access to news, which allows broadcasters get it on air much faster than traditional newscasts. It also allows viewers the ability to interact with the broadcaster, as opposed to TV as we know it.
A growing number of news journalists are also using Periscope to provide behind the scene tours and additional content you wouldn’t normally see in a regular newscast.
News anchor, Tasmin Lucia-Khan has shared some of her personal experiences including her cancer screening. She also spoke about one of her scopes involving an 11-year-old girl who was a sex worker and was able to share parts of her story that didn’t make air.
As a multilingual reporter based in Russia, Bricio Segovia, broadcasts the news in different languages all over the world through Periscope and shared how the experience has helped him deliver the news and grow his brand.
The way we get the news is certainly changing. So, what does the future hold for the TV industry?
Well, I imagine that break out stars will emerge. With the growing popularity of Periscope, more citizens will contribute to the breaking news coverage on a global scale. There will always be a place for local news, but I do believe that a broader reach will drive more people to tune in.
Pettitt believes that the future of TV will involve regular people breaking the news, more comment moderation by providing multi-camera setups, as well as instant polling systems. There may also be new reality shows brought to air with the same ideas in mind and more brands will eventually look to place ads via live streaming.
There is definitely a rawness and authenticity factor that has made Periscope so popular. However, with change comes responsibility. News organizations will need to adapt in order to stay afloat or they will be left behind.
It’s also important to note although live streaming is where the TV industry is headed, I think stations will need to come up with a way to monitor this new platform to reduce the risk airing graphic content, while keeping up with the changes. News anchors and reporters will also work at finding compelling ways to tell news stories through live streaming.
Are you concern with how Periscope is changing the media landscape?
