Minneapolis NBC aims to “break” the news with new format

Tegna’s KARE-TV launched a social media newscast, dubbed “Breaking the News,” Monday at 6:30 p.m.

The show aims to be “more than a name, it’s a mission that allows us to dig deeper into the stories Minnesotans are responding to and care about each day,” according to a station release.

“This is the place where you can do more than just watch the news. Now you can be part of it constructively,” said Rena Sarigianopoulos, who co-anchors the newscast with Jana Shortal.

Social Integration

While this is not the first time a newscast has attempted to integrate social media heavily into its format, it has been a few years since one hit the airwaves, such as at KOMU-TV with Sarah Hill, with many technological changes in terms of content creation and sharing.

During the show, the bottom strap included a curated display of social media responses, powered by Tagboard. Tweets and Facebook posts were also shown throughout the show on full screen graphics.

“You’re going to be a part of the conversation, you’re going to be part of the message,” said Shortal. “Here’s our chance to hear what you have to say as a viewer and really run with it.”

It is worth noting, however, most of the stories covered during the newscast were also covered during the stations 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, but “Breaking the News” did have an exclusive interview with Minnesota Vikings Kicker Blair Walsh, who ended the teams season on Sunday.

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Also, the show did not appear to take advantage of some fairly recent social media platforms, like Snapchat or Periscope.

Appearance

KARE-TV will debut a new studio for its main newscasts later this month, and “Breaking the News” uses a small portion of it. Situated near the outdoor weather center, Sarigianopoulos and Shortal sat behind a floating desk with two large wooden columns.

For a social media show, one might expect an abundance of monitors, but only one was present in the shows area, flanked by a wavy wall texture.

Overall, this first peek gives a very upscale contemporary vibe, with plenty of woods.

Graphically, the show used a lot of footage from around Minneapolis including some bokeh. During the opening words like “op ed” and “debate” flashed on the screen with floating glass-like elements, setting a tone for what was to come.

“Breaking the News” made frequent use of a Manfrotto Ring Steadicam for many TMZ-style shots throughout the show, continuing to emphasize to viewers it was not just a regular newscast.

We will see how “Breaking the News” evolves as social media continues to break news long before newscasts come on-air. The show promises to never show a burning house or car chase, but focus on stories that drive conversations, and the mix presented during the debut did, but what happens on a slow news day?

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