Regional Benefits of Liveblogging with RP Online

With more than 32 million monthly views and more than 290 editors, the Rheinische Post is one of the best-known multimedia media brands in the Rhineland. The RP reports on topics that move the world, the nation, and especially the region. To inform its readers quickly and reliably about regional events, the media group has been using our Tickaroo Live Blog since 2015. But what does Henning Bulka, Head of Digital Desk, like most about the liveblogging? We asked him.

Henning Bulka, head of the digital desk at Rheinische Post, recommends Tickaroo to other publishers and media houses, as a liveblog is often the best way for the editorial team and also for users to prepare all the information quickly and comprehensively.

Image Source: Endermann/RP

What advantages do live blogs provide to publishers, journalists, and readers?

"RP ONLINE has been using Tickaroo's live blog for many years. Whenever the news about a topic starts picking up speed, a live blog is often the best way for the editorial team and the live blog users to prepare all the information quickly and comprehensively."

COVERING LOCAL NEWS AS IT BREAKS

A good example of this "picking up speed" storytelling, is RP's coverage of the start of summer vacation at Düsseldorf Airport. Understandably, people wanted to get out and about after the pandemic. However, the first stop for most travelers at Düsseldorf Airport was anything but relaxed. The initial anticipation was quickly followed by stress: overcrowded airports, lack of staff, cranky children, delays and even flight cancellations. An editor from the RP was on site and recorded his impressions of the airport and the mood of those waiting in a live blog.

To keep travelers informed about delays or cancellations, official breaking news from the airlines was shared within the live blog. Traveler reactions were shared with readers in the forms of short videos. Interviews with an airport expert were also integrated into the live blog as behind-the-scene content to show readers internal airport processes.

Image Source: Airport live blog from RP

In addition, the Rheinische Post editorial team created an e-mail address for this live blog: "Are you also standing in line at the airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, stuck in a traffic jam on the autobahn, or sweating in an overcrowded train? Then feel free to write to us at aktion@rp-online.de if you agree to a possible publication of your experiences and adventures on RP Online and in the Rheinische Post. (...)" In this way, interested parties could write to the editorial team and share their experiences from Düsseldorf Airport for the live blog. Thus, travelers could not only read the live blog, but also became part of it.

With the interplay of e-mails, interviews and live blog, RP manages to bundle regional events digitally in a live blog and thus enter into a closer collaboration with readers on the ground. With special content like this, live blogs can be made more interesting and structured for readers:

"Quick text posts, tweets, images or links to further reporting: Live blogs are a good way to bundle all that. Functions like "Sticky" or "Highlights" enable reporters to signify importance."

HIGHLIGHTING INFORMATION LOCALS CARE ABOUT

The Rheinische Post made particular use of these highlight features in its live blog about Carnival. By highlighting specific entries, readers were able to filter which information was important to them. Because a storm was forecasted during the event, revelers didn't know if the carnival parade would take place or if everything would have to be canceled. This feature enabled attendees to quickly find the information they were looking for.

Tickaroo Live Blog's mobile app makes it easy to quickly upload information directly from the scene. Through the direct exchange on site, the editors were able to develop a feeling for what the revellers were really interested in and which local information should be highlighted in the live blog.

PROVIDING INFORMATION WHEN A REGION NEEDS IT

Up-to-date entries are indispensable, especially when severe weather warnings are expected and breaking news should reach readers in time. As was the case with the storm "Antonia" live blog in North Rhine-Westphalia, journalists from RP reported on current warnings, traffic reports from the Deutsche Bahn, clean-up work, and closures in the region. Because regional reports are centralized on a live blog, readers are informed more quickly than if they first had to Google for each separate information source.

BEYOND LOCAL

The Rheinische Post also uses the experience gained through its regional live reporting, like its soccer news on Fortuna Düsseldorf or Borussia Mönchengladbach, to write ongoing live blogs on international events too:

"We use Tickaroo to follow the events surrounding the Corona pandemic continuously since 2020, for example, and the war in Ukraine also has its own live blog. Tickaroo is also used for elections at the state and federal level. These live blogs are among the most requested content from our loyal readers. Setting up a new live blog takes just seconds, even in conjunction with our editorial system, and filling it in is intuitive and fast."

WHY WE LIKE WORKING WITH THE RHEINISCHE POST

With its large selection of live blogs, the Rheinische Post shows that the format can be used in a variety of ways. Its flexible nature enables reporters to easily cover regional as well as international stories. Especially when it comes to being up-to-date and reaching their readers quickly, live blogs are indispensable.

Transparency also plays a major role in regional live blogs. After all, it's important for readers to know what's happening on their own doorstep. Live blogs offer the opportunity to bring important information directly to readers and to get closer to them through direct exchange.

These features bring the Rheinische Post great success not only with regional but also with international coverage, making the media group the great pioneer of live reporting as we know it today.