Over the last decade, we’ve reported on seemingly countless attempts by news organizations to create live webcasts. For TV, it’s a natural extension of existing live programming. But for newspapers or online-only sites, few have succeeded. Today, the Huffington Post has debuted “HuffPo Live,” a 12-hour a day streaming network built around social participation. The idea is that social media can reinvent the webcast, just as it has transformed much of the web.
“This shift from presentation to participation is what fuels HuffPost Live,” explains Arianna Huffington. “We have reached a moment where – thanks to technology – millions of people have a seat at the table and can join what has become a global conversation.”
That conversation kicked off at 10 a.m. ET today with a huge, red “join this segment” button next to the live stream. Instead of covering the news, HuffPo Live talks about it, integrating live webcams from guests and viewers alike via Google Hangouts. While everyone can leave a comment — or video comment — in the conversation stream next to the video, only a small handful of viewers are given the green light to participate on camera during each segment.
To try to participate on cam, you first enter a “green room” by clicking one of the upcoming segments across the top of the screen. You can request to “join this segment” via your webcam, read up on suggested sources about it, or start a conversation in the right column. You can also continue conversations in segment rooms that have already aired (which Huffington says they’re calling “after-life” for lack of a better term, but are open to changing it.)
“This is not just a video network. It’s really a platform for engagement,” said HuffPost Founding Editor Roy Sekoff. “From the beginning, one of our goals has been to try and create the most social video experience possible.”
It’s certainly social, but the challenge is balancing “good TV” with open conversation. Creating a video version of Huffington Post’s infamous comment threads won’t attract an audience, and HuffPo Live’s dozen anchors — Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, formerly from “The Stream,” kicked things off today — have the difficult assignment of combining compelling information with a civil and orderly conversation. Shihab-Eldin juggled the Google Hangouts conversation while punching up tweets and highlighting paragraphs from HuffingtonPost.com stories.
The other challenge is monetization. The HuffPo effort isn’t cheap — over 30 staffers and 2 studios — and Sekoff said sponsorship integration will be a key element of the video network’s strategy. In today’s world of distribution — see WSJ Live’s footprint on devices on Roku, for example — it will be interesting to see if the integrated model can scale enough to drive a profitable business.
The launch wasn’t without its glitches, as you may expect. The feed dropped out a few times, but resumed with a refresh. What do you think of HuffPo Live as a new webcast model?