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With APA - Austria Presse Agency - we have gained a new content partner in the DACH region! It's not without reason that APA is Austria's leading information service. The national news agency is owned as a cooperative by twelve Austrian daily newspapers and ORF. APA provides live blogs on current topics, which can be purchased in the Tickaroo Marketplace by their cooperatives and other media houses.
It all started with a free test account. But what convinced Christian Kneil, Head of Content Business at APA-Multi Media, to enter into a partnership with Tickaroo? What other advantages do live blogs have for journalists, publishers, and media companies? And how does he think the media landscape will shift in dealing with fake news? Find out in this interview.
Image source: APA/Barbara Gindl
What advantages do live blogs provide journalists/publishers?
"For breaking news, live blogs have proven to be the perfect format to keep readers informed and up to date in real-time with their colorful mix of content (text, images, graphics, videos, social media, etc.)."
APA used these same features in their "Long Night of Research" live blog with great success. New technologies, research projects, and scientific findings were presented at 280 locations across Austria in fun and entertaining ways. The APA used Tickaroo Live Blog technology to liveblog the event, allowing readers to participate from anywhere. The live blog was filled with captivating visual content such as pictures and videos, which made the coverage even more engaging for readers.
What convinced you to use our liveblogging software?
"Tickaroo gives us many new composition opportunities for our live blogs - in terms of editorial content and design. We know the APA - Austria Presse Agentur customers appreciate this variety."
For example, the APA wrote a live blog for the Queen's 70th Jubilee on June 5, 2022. Particularly noteworthy in this live blog is the short format "The Queen in Quotes," where readers could read through personal quotes from the Queen from over the past 70 years. Time travel in a different format!
Live blogs are also an excellent format for covering eSports events, like the A1 Austrian eSports Festival on June 18, 2022. In this live blog, the APA leveraged social media to give their readers a new perspective. They shared many of the event's participants' Twitter posts within their live blog, thus giving their readers an inside scoop on the festival's goings-on.
How will fake news affect the media landscape?
From the pandemic to elections, countless fake news items have been circulated, especially on social networks. For publishers, media houses, journalists, and editors, it's more important than ever to recognize fake news and take active action against it. What are Christian Kneil and his team doing about it? He reports:
"With the Corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine, fake news has gained massive (negative) relevance and continues to pose new challenges for the media. One response is the emergence of new role models in journalism. As early as 2020, APA created its own fact-checking unit in the editorial office with an overseeing verification officer to better respond to disinformation. The answer to fake news can only be independent and fact-based quality journalism."
Looking to the future
With the APA as a newly acquired customer, we are taking an essential step towards internationalization. We look forward to our continued future cooperation with the APA and reading more live blogs from Austria - with the help of reliable liveblogging technology from Tickaroo.
