Thursday, December 8, 2005

Roanoke.com, the website of the Roanoke Times (Virginia), has my applause. Today, it debuted "TimesCast," a weekday online newscast done in video and multimedia form. Five days a week (minus holidays), the website will post a 3- to 4-minute TimesCast segment featuring a mix of local news, weather, sports, and entertainment information, as presented by one of a crew of six rotating 20-something journalists.

TimesCast debuted today, with Mindy Smith doing the presenting duties. She did a good job, I thought, presenting in a breezy, perky style that's clearly aimed to appeal to younger online users. The choice of content wasn't of the earth-shattering variety, but rather of things that a younger demographic might want to know about. (The site is aimed at 18- to 35-year-olds.) Smith did a weather forecast, mentioned how local students are in the middle of final exams, and reported on early openings of area ski resorts. She also urged online viewers to participate in a couple of Roanoke.com polls (such as picking out the year's weirdest news story).

TimesCast is scheduled for release every afternoon at 3:30, to beat local TV stations' evening newscasts. Roanoke Times editor Mike Riley describes TimesCast as "an online video newscast, really more of a show, and is part of our effort to reach different audiences through new technology." It's being produced out of the newsroom, as part of an integrated effort with the digital-media team.

An important point is that TimesCast is not meant to replicate TV news. Says Riley: "We're trying to project more of a sense of humor, playfulness, even irreverence, and that's what distinguishes our effort. Call us the anti-TV. We think it's a better way to get at the younger audience."

In addition to comparing TimesCast to TV news, you can compare it to the other major newspaper video experiment at Delaware Online, website of the Wilmington News-Journal. That afternoon online newscast looks much more like local TV news; the site even hired a traditional broadcaster to be the anchor.

I liked what I saw today with TimesCast, in large part because it's not like TV, and I suspect its breezy and fun style might appeal to younger viewers. However, I'm well north of 40, so I wonder if people in their 20s will share my reaction. I'd like to hear from some younger viewers: Is the TimesCast format genuinely appealing? Or is it an example of a conservative institution (the newspaper) trying to be trendy but not pulling it off?
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