For papers, a focus on video newscasts

Every morning, Rachel Canelli browses the Web site of the Bucks County Courier Times, a newspaper in suburban Philadelphia. She quickly picks out a cluster of stories from the day’s issue and puts them together in a Word document.

A group of journalists surrounds her desk as she ticks off the list. But this daily brainstorming session isn’t about writing the latest news. It’s about illustrating it — through video.

Canelli, previously a print reporter for the Courier Times for seven years, has been anchoring the “Courier Times Update,” the paper’s daily 10-minute newscast. The Courier Times is one of a growing number of newspapers across the country that have been incorporating video reporting as part of their overall product.

The paper’s video team has grown from three to 10 since last year. Now with a full-time general assignment reporter, sports reporter, graphic artist and associate producers, the team produces daily packages in addition to the “Update” and features pieces from the paper’s four weekly video blogs. This is all in addition to the videos shot and edited on iPhones by the paper’s print reporters.

“We want to offer our readers and viewers the news on every possible avenue,” Canelli said. “Video has become increasingly popular. People love it. That’s what they want. Why not give them what they want, where they want it?”

From the Courier Times and Bakersfield Californian to The Washington Post and The New York Times, newspapers of all sizes have been adding video news to their sites in the past few years. While some papers present video stories with ambient sounds, other outlets have on-air talents and print reporters who narrate the pieces.

While adding video has helped better illustrate stories, the Courier Times — one of several media outlets owned by Calkins Media company — has used video to supplement its revenue.

“Video is exploding on the Web,” managing video editor Bill Johnson said. “Our directors saw this coming and wanted to be the first to jump on the video news bandwagon. “Our owners anticipate video as the ‘wave of the future.’ From what I hear, advertising rates for video are much higher than Web rates. Our owners hope the value of video will take our company into a profitable future.”

The “Update” is sponsored by St. Mary Medical Center, a local hospital that has invested in the newscast since its official start in April. Another local hospital, Abington Memorial Hospital, has agreed to sponsor a new video show this fall featuring high school football in the area. Calkins Media is also seeking sponsorship to develop newscasts for its two other area papers, the Intelligencer and the Burlington County Times.

“The idea of bringing you your news hasn’t changed,” Canelli said. “Storytelling is still important. That will never change. Just the way you hear or tell it has and will continue to evolve. Video adds that little something extra. At the end of the day, news, stories, they’re about people. Moments. What better way to capture those moments than with video?”