Press Association to roll out live-blogging service to newswire customers

The Press Association is to make its live-blogging services available to all of its newswire customers for no extra cost ahead of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

PA said the initiative, in partnership with platform provider ScribbleLive, was aimed at ‘helping wire subscribers test their audience’s appetite for live content and build new online audiences”.

In a release the company said:

PA has been producing live blogs for digital customers since 2010 – however this is the first time the news agency has offered the content as part of its newswire subscription.

As well as granting wire customers free access to ScribbleLive’s blogging technology, PA is providing an ongoing series of customisable live blogs around major national events.

The blogs contain a core of rolling live news from PA which can either be run directly on subscribers’ websites, or used as a basis for their own live blogging.

Regional publishers can tailor the blogs for a local audience by adding their own words, images and videos – as well as user-generated content from social media platforms.

Customers who sign up for the service will also be able to access training and support to allow their journalists to make best use of the content and technology.

The service will also offer access to a PA breaking news widget which can be embedded in wire customers’ websites to provide round-the-clock customisable news content.

The move is part of PA’s on-going strategy to develop innovative methods of reporting news and delivering content.

Live-blogging has been a major development focus for PA in recent years, and is now an integral part of its newsgathering and reporting process.

Over the last few months stories covered live have included nationwide Diamond Jubilee events, the Leveson Inquiry, the Budget, the departure of Fabio Capello, launch of the new iPad and the Oscars.

Alan Marshall, group managing editor at Press Association, added:

We are constantly exploring innovative ways of newsgathering and live blogging is now a major component of PA’s coverage. Our blogs using ScribbleLive’s technology have proved very successful with our digital customer base, attracting large audiences, and we are now opening these up to our wire customers.

There is a great opportunity here, particularly for the regional press, to attract web traffic, build new audiences and develop their own live blogging methods. The beauty of these blogs is their flexibility to be tailored with local angles around major national news stories, and their ability to engage with readers in real-time.

The Diamond Jubilee programme is the ideal time to test out live blogging as it’s a huge national story with almost unlimited local angles. We’re encouraging our wire customers to give it a go and see what they can achieve.