BBC Structured Reporting
What if we approached the reporting and publishing process differently, retaining our journalists’ knowledge of a story and its context, instead of losing it when we publish or broadcast. What possibilities does having this data in a structured, queryable database open up?
Through a mix of research and prototyping, we’ve found this approach can help provide context to ongoing coverage. It also facilitates richer experiments in storytelling on the platforms our audiences use: easier access to our news in flexible formats means we have more time to focus on how to tell each story best, taking advantage of mobile and other platforms’ unique features.
One project underway is a mobile news application that presents key events at a glance, while also giving the audience ways of learning more through profiles of people and organizations, background, analysis pieces, significant quotes and documents, etc.
Another project also under development is a complement to our current affairs programmes. We’re prototyping features that would allow viewers of a programme like Panorama to “bookmark” segments at a glance - for further exploration of the topics covered, including related coverage across the organization, not just broadcast TV.