More Than Just "Update Me" - Live Blogs and User Needs. Part 1

More than just a buzzword in the media industry, the User Needs Model is sweeping through newsrooms around the world. It provides journalists with a framework to create content that speaks to a variety of audiences' reasons for coming to the news. While providing real-time updates ("Update Me") is an obvious function of liveblogging, the format also serves a broader spectrum of user needs. In this blog post, we'll explore how live blogs serve not only the "Update Me" need but also fulfill others like "Give Me Perspective," "Inspire Me," and "Connect Me."

A hand holding a sign with "We understand your needs" written on it

The User Needs Model, developed by Dmitry Shishkin, is a powerful tool for journalists seeking to create impactful content that resonates with their audience and fosters long-lasting reader-newsroom relationships. This framework provides publishers with a set of reader needs and practical methods to meet those needs effectively. While the model highlights 8 different user needs, newsrooms are encouraged to analyse their audiences and content to select/create the user needs that will provide their specific audiences with the most valuable content. This model's flexibility enables newsrooms to truly meet the specific needs of their audiences, which in turn encourages them to return.

The live blog format, due to its own flexibility and ability to integrate multiple content types, helps publishers engage audiences coming to the news regardless of their "need". In this three-part series, we'll show you how to use live blogs to meet specific user needs and create content that genuinely resonates with your readers.

"Update me"

The user need most associated with live blogs, "update me" content seeks to ensure that readers are kept informed about the latest happenings. With its SEO-optimized structure, live blogs are often used to provide readers with information quickly.

Live blogs mobile-friendly structure also lends itself well to fulfilling this "update me" need. People frequently turn to their phones to stay informed about current events: what's happening, who's involved, when and where events occurred, and the latest updates. The real-time nature and flexibility of live blogging have long empowered publishers to deliver these updates in easily digestible formats filled with multimedia elements. Whether it's short, concise updates like New Zealand Stuff's News Chat or in-depth coverage like FAZ's live blog on the US elections, live blogs excel at keeping readers informed.

"Give me perspective"

Articles serving this need aim to interpret news events for readers, provide different perspectives on the issue, and aid them in forming their own opinions. Although traditionally, the main task of news media has been to update people, there has been a significant gap in explaining the meaning behind those events. The recent Digital News Report 2024 highlights this issue: while people are generally satisfied with how media delivers updates, they crave news filled with diverse perspectives that help them form their own opinions. In fact, the DNR24 revealed the largest gap between the importance readers place on this need and how well news outlets are meeting it.

Live blogs is a great tool for publishers looking to meet this need, and for good reason. They enable traditional news updates to be supplemented with additional information that introduces new angles to the story. Publishers can integrate external articles providing background information on the topic, quotes or tweets from key figures, and contributions from guest experts sharing their perspectives.

1. Gather Various Opinions in One Feed

A couple of years ago, ZEIT ONLINE did a fantastic job gathering diverse perspectives (more precise, 49 of them!) on crucial issues leading up to the 2021 German federal election. They invited 49 individuals representing Germany's diverse population to share their views on pressing topics, ranging from increasing gas prices to gender equality.

These opinions were presented in bite-sized snippets within a long-form live blog, enriched with multimedia elements to boost engagement. ZEIT ONLINE integrated videos featuring participants discussing their concerns, external articles delving deeper into their backgrounds, and their quotes on the topics discussed. The variety of perspectives gathered in one feed resonates with readers and empowers them to understand why those interviewed feel the way they do about these issues.

2. Include "Surrounding" Content

While updating readers is important, consider adding complementary content to enrich your storytelling. Today's audiences aren't just looking for news; they want to grasp the full picture. This is especially important during this election year, as seen in ZEIT ONLINE's live blog coverage of the French Parliament elections.

French Parliament Election 2024 coverage by DIE ZEIT

With 11 reporters on board, ZEIT ONLINE delivered comprehensive coverage filled with their analysis. Understanding that not everyone is as informed as journalists, they backed up their updates with articles from their website, like "What you need to know about new elections in France," to give essential context. Leveraging the pervasive influence of social media, ZEIT ONLINE integrated social media embeds into their live blog. They included an external tweet featuring an interview excerpt with Marine Le Pen, a prominent figure in contemporary French politics, to offer diverse viewpoints and enrich their coverage.

"Inspire Me"

People with this need seek news that show them the positive sides of a story and leave them with a feeling of hope, inspiration, or pride. These stories don't ignore problems but instead focus on positive angles and potential solutions. Alongside the "give me perspective" need, the "inspire me" need is one of the most underserved my media outlets, yet it is highly valued by readers. Live blogs empower publishers to forge personal connections with their audience, appealing to their emotions rather than overwhelming with just factual information.

1. Evoke Emotions

Addressing this need, publishers should focus on stories that evoke emotions and offer readers a positive respite from the flood of negative news online. A prime example is Protouch Africa's "Moments of Glory" live blog, which aims to celebrate historical achievements of African athletes and inspire their audience. Using the flexible date feature in the Tickaroo Live Blog tool, Protouch was able to chronologically organize their posts, marking them with the actual dates of the achievements rather than the date of posting. In such live blogs, it's recommended to enrich content with multimedia elements; visuals have a greater emotional impact compared to plain text and boost reader engagement. Furthermore, integrating emojis adds a lively and human touch to Protouch's storytelling.

Blogpost images 500 x 300 px (1)-min

2. Make It Personal

People are naturally drawn to people - seeing faces behind the coverage rather than just a name of a brand helps readers connect with the story. There are several ways to achieve this. For instance, in live blogs, adding reporters' profile pictures and allowing them to interact within the feed makes the storytelling more personal, similar to Der Spiegel's approach in their EURO 2024 coverage of the England vs Spain match.

Another example of the most typical 'Inspire Me' story would be sharing a personal success story, as ProTouch Africa did with their live blog dedicated to South African 100m sprint champion Akani Simbine. The entire blog is presented from Akani's perspective, showcasing his successes, personal reflections, and training videos. To enhance navigation through Akani's journey, ProTouch integrated a Tag Filter feature, enabling readers to easily jump to specific sections like "Early Life" or "Interviews".

Part two of this series focusing on other user needs is coming soon. Stay tuned!