M.E.N. Get Interactive with Manchester Live

The Manchester Evening News team recently invited online readers to get a behind the scenes insight to their working day with an online live-feed aptly titled ‘Manchester Live’.

The publication used social media tools to take viewers behind the scenes at the M.E.N Head Quarters.

Beginning the day on a Google Hangout, news reporter John Scheerhout guided viewers through how the team spends its’ morning.

Starting their online content early, the paper launched an inventive new widget designed by their specialist data journalism team. Created after a BBC study showed the price of going to football matches had massively increased - the widget allows football fans on both desktop and mobile devices to compare the costs of attending matches across different teams and leagues.

Continuing their day of online interactivity, the news team allowed readers the unique experience of joining a live editorial conference via GoogleHangout an instant messaging and video chat platform developed by Google. Observers were given the opportunity to ask questions directly to the editors- fully immersing readers into the process behind the publications’ stories.

The paper also ventured into new online territory, uploading a detailed list of ‘live news’ stories that were being worked on at the time– granting readers access to breaking news stories before it had even been reported.

Keen to make the most out of social media channels, the MEN team shared an array of digital content. This included pictures via Instagram, exclusive videos on its’ website and a showcase of the most contemporary methods of reporting. A fun quiz exploring Manchester Institutions that predate the Manchester Evening News itself highlighted the progression of news reporting methods over the years in conjunction with the MEN’s 146th anniversary.

Ending the day on an interactive high, the paper provided an exclusive look at their design team in the process of creating the front page - recorded via Google Glass.

The ‘Manchester Live’ project was a creative way for MEN to invite it’s audience into the world of media reporting. Using various social channels was a great way to engage many of their readers and the variety of the content was a brilliant approach for extending their reach.

Following the success of Manchester Live, it would be great to see other companies try a live feed of their own. With many brands keeping their social media profiles constantly updated, a social hub collating the various types of online content seems like a natural progression.