With digital elements such as Facebook’s publishing tools, live video and more, the online space has become a prime platform for media companies to utilise. So which publishing organisations are making the most of such technologies, and are these benefitting their readers?

While the printed word is still very much the foundation of traditional journalism, the offline newspaper industry is on the decline. In a latest report from Pew Research Center, 2015 figures showed that weekday circulation had fallen by 7%, while Sunday circulation had dropped by 4%. On the whole, the newspaper workforce has shrunk by 39% in the last 20 years, while the industry is witnessing mergers between smaller offline publications. In response, organisations have looked to digital to meet the demands of their online audiences- an audience which is rapidly consuming news via desktop and mobile.

So which publications are exemplifying the digital shift? The New York Times is one company we’ve had our eye on for a while for their forward-thinking approach to new technologies. VR and AR have been very much at the forefront of their organisation, especially since last year. For instance, the company partnered with Google to distribute over 1.3 million Google Cardboard headsets to their readers, encouraging them to view content on their designated VR app. Such was their innovative approach, that it won them a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in the “App as part of a campaign” category. And just last month, The New York Times decided to expand upon its VR initiatives, with the acquisition of design agency, Fake Love. The deal will help the company bring new technologies to their ad products, including experimental marketing, VR and AR.

Earlier this Summer, Condé Nast added VR to their video strategy, announcing a six-episode VR series set to air this month. Entitled “Invisible”, this action-adventure series will tell the fictional story of a New York family with superpowers, with its unique draw in the fact that fans can explore each scene in a different way every time they watch it. While The New York Times is clearly using VR for reporting and special news features, Conde Nast is producing this VR series to tie in with its plans for scripted show production, which it aims to capture the attention of its millennial audiences. Distribution of future VR videos is planned for all of the company’s digital platforms, of which it has over 50, with the aim for these to “transcend all screens”, according to Head of Sales, Lisa Valentino.

But it’s not only VR that publishing companies are tapping into- Facebook Live and 360-degree video has also become a standard medium for reporting. For the New York Times, we’ve seen over 160 live video reports on Facebook in the past three months alone, while the Huffington Post, CNN and Mashable are other examples of news outlets excelling in this area. BuzzFeed for instance, is another such media company to benefit from the additional video exposure, in addition to its own roster of successful YouTube channels. Its most popular live broadcast for example, (featuring two of the company’s employees causing a watermelon to explode by wrapping rubber bands around it), has now been viewed over 10 million times, and received over 17,000 shares. Without live video, media outlets ordinarily couldn’t expect that level of success.

For these companies, embracing digital is all about reaching an online-connected audience to share the most viral-worthy and shareable content. However, with live video in particular meaning that anyone can be a “journalist”, publications such as the New York Times will have to continue planning new ways to evolve, or face an ever growing stream of competition. As Jonathan Klein, CEO of digital media company Tapp, states; “Facebook effectively has one and a half billion news bureaus to capture news, and they’re capable of doing things that a cable news network could only dream of doing.” With live video broadcasting therefore accessible to all, publications will have to ensure their reporting is more timely and frequent, and of a high caliber in order to succeed in this area. Or, they will have to start looking into new digital spaces for more advanced story-telling. With this in mind, we’ll certainly be keeping a lookout for what’s next from the industry.

Do you think it’s important for publishing companies to incorporate new digital technologies? Which publications do you admire for their innovative approach? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.