A well-structured liveblog offers readers a quick overview of current events in real time. It is a valuable tool for media companies and publishers to report quickly and in-depth on the day's events. In some respects, liveblogs even outperform traditional news formats as they allow for faster updates, are better arranged, and provide more engagement for readers. In this blog article, we want to show you why liveblogs are so crucial in current news and how you can create a successful liveblog yourself.
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Use of live blogs for journalistic reporting
Live blogs have become today an essential part of online news. Due to their relevance and information density, live-blogs are particularly attractive for users who want to learn about daily news quickly and easily. The ability to embed images, videos, and social media posts, in turn makes them a lively and varied medium.
In the journalism industry, two live blog formats stand out in particular:
- The liveblog as a live ticker that is constantly updated
- The liveblog as a concise daily summary
When news providers regularly use live blogs as a live ticker, they often focus on specific topics. In this regard, live blogs are suitable both for the media accompaniment of time-limited news events and the comprehensive reporting around long-lasting crises.
Great examples of current news live blogs
Due to the widespread presence of liveblogs in today's world, there are numerous good examples of their use in current news.
Der Spiegel used daily live blogs to cover the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. The editorial team managed to capture a rapidly-changing news situation thanks to quick reports on events in different parts of the world. In addition to text contributions, the journalists also used tweets and images. The relevance and reliability of this live blog as well as its clear structure, made it especially valuable to readers. Even now, since the live blog posts are still available, the reporting at the time can be transparently traced and continues to create impressions to this day. Der Spiegel uses Tickaroo's Live Blog software for their live coverage needs.
The Guardian's liveblog on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an excellent example of continuous coverage of an ongoing crisis. Every day, editors summarize the latest developments in a liveblog. They also have a second live blog, into which they integrate daily updates. The result is an automated chronicle of the news that gives readers a comprehensive overview of all national and international developments in the war.
The daily liveblog "That was the day in Münster" shows that live blogs can be used for significant events, national news, andare suitable for regional purposes. The Westfälische Nachrichten liveblog provides a daily summary for the city of Münster and informs readers in a comprehensive and structured way about the day's most important events. Thus, readers get a quick and easy overview without having to search for the relevant information themselves. This type of liveblog is especially beneficial for media houses, as it keeps readers up to date and offers added value.
Live blog advantages for media houses, journalists, and readers
The advantages of live blogs for media houses and publishers are self-evident. Due to the relevance and density of information, users become attached to the company's own site, leading to more dwell time and a wider reach. For users, live blogs offer users a quick and structured way to learn about current events. Instead of having to read multiple articles or visit different websites, users can find all relevant information in one place. In addition, they can post comments, ask questions, or exchange opinions in real-time. However, live blogs offer advantages not only for users but also for editorial teams. Because liveblogs are constantly updated, journalists can respond more quickly to events and dynamically adapt their reporting, including by using external content.
Tip and tricks for creating live blogs about current events
Even though liveblogs have become the standard in online news, there are still some tips and tricks that can help you with their creation:
🏗️ Structure and clarity
Liveblogs on current events are often very extensive. They should be divided into meaningful sections or use anchor links for a better overview. Highlighting important news can also help.
🕐 Time specifications
Liveblogs live on topicality. Therefore, time indications should always be clearly visible so that readers can always understand when which event took place.
🔎SEO
Liveblogs are very popular on Google, Bing, and others and achieve good rankings. The prerequisites for this are continuity in the number and quality of posts, a focus on specific topics and keywords, and structured data that provides search engines with more information about authors, posts, and the medium.
🖼️ Multimedia content
Integrating images, videos, or social media posts livens up the liveblog and makes it more attractive for the readership.
👍 Interactivity
An opportunity for interaction, such as through polls or live chats, increases reader engagement with the liveblog.
📓Archiving
Even after a live blog has ended, it should still be available online for readers. This way, the reader can track events in retrospect. Media companies, in turn, profit from a continuous generation of impressions. Some publishers even use the format to share archived stories with new audiences, like the SZ's historical live blog of the Munich 1972 Olympics.
Conclusion on live blogs in reporting
To summarize, liveblogs play a vital role in the news sector and continue to gain relevance. They provide fast and reliable reporting and serve as a platform for interaction and exchange with readers. They can be used not only for live reporting but also for structured summaries (some even made with the help of AI). The key to the success of a liveblog is a well-structured presentation and clear structuring of information.
