Leak shows Gannett stockpiling thousands of iPhones, iPads for journalists
A leaked memo from USA Today parent company Gannett Co. has revealed that the company recently purchased thousands of iPhone 4S and iPad devices in order to aid its journalists in real-time reporting, video storytelling and social media participation.
Gannett Blog, which is not affiliated with the company, published a memo on Wednesday, allegedly from Gannett's U.S. newspapers division president Bob Dickey, detailing the publisher's new technology strategy.
According to the memo, the company "purchased thousands of new devices," including the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and netbooks, for its journalists this week. A range of accessories, such as microphones, MiFi wireless internet hotspots and cables, have also been bought to outfit the devices for news-gathering purposes. The equipment is scheduled to arrive at newsrooms around the U.S. in January 2012.
"These new tools will help our journalists meet the demands of the new news cycle, one that requires agility in real-time reporting, social media and greater emphasis on video storytelling, further increasing our competitive advantage," the memo read.
Some of the devices will be used to create digital workstations at each of Gannett's local Information Centers "to monitor the content experience we provide across digital channels ? tablets and smart phones, in particular."
Journalists will also reportedly receive training in early 2012 on how to use the devices in order to maximize the impact of the initiative and enable them to do new things that Dickey "can?t even imagine yet."
Gannett COO Gracia Martore said early this year that the iPad has been a "real positive" for USA Today, though she was referring to the success of the company's iPad app in dispersing the news, rather than the tablet's ability to help create it.
USA Today underwent its most dramatic overhaul ever last year as part of a shift toward bringing content to the iPad. Faced with declining circulation, the paper cut 130 staff as it turned away from print to focus more on digital formats. With thousands of iOS devices set to arrive early next year, Gannett has upped the ante in its bid to evolve alongside technology.
Gannett Blog, which is not affiliated with the company, published a memo on Wednesday, allegedly from Gannett's U.S. newspapers division president Bob Dickey, detailing the publisher's new technology strategy.
According to the memo, the company "purchased thousands of new devices," including the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and netbooks, for its journalists this week. A range of accessories, such as microphones, MiFi wireless internet hotspots and cables, have also been bought to outfit the devices for news-gathering purposes. The equipment is scheduled to arrive at newsrooms around the U.S. in January 2012.
"These new tools will help our journalists meet the demands of the new news cycle, one that requires agility in real-time reporting, social media and greater emphasis on video storytelling, further increasing our competitive advantage," the memo read.
Some of the devices will be used to create digital workstations at each of Gannett's local Information Centers "to monitor the content experience we provide across digital channels ? tablets and smart phones, in particular."
Journalists will also reportedly receive training in early 2012 on how to use the devices in order to maximize the impact of the initiative and enable them to do new things that Dickey "can?t even imagine yet."
Gannett COO Gracia Martore said early this year that the iPad has been a "real positive" for USA Today, though she was referring to the success of the company's iPad app in dispersing the news, rather than the tablet's ability to help create it.
USA Today underwent its most dramatic overhaul ever last year as part of a shift toward bringing content to the iPad. Faced with declining circulation, the paper cut 130 staff as it turned away from print to focus more on digital formats. With thousands of iOS devices set to arrive early next year, Gannett has upped the ante in its bid to evolve alongside technology.
Comments
Sensational headline much?
It is the good quality cameras Apple has been using.
doesnt explain the ipad
doesnt explain the ipad
The cameras explain the iPhones and the iPhones explain the iPads.
doesnt explain the ipad
Enterprises build their own CMS solutions that the iPad can leverage with the iPhone.
It is the good quality cameras Apple has been using.
doesnt explain the ipad
The iPad 2 camera is acceptable for some uses.
The iPhone 4S camera is quite good. You can input pictures and videos from the iPhone to the iPad using the Camera Connection Kit.
You can input from many cameras and SD cards with the same kit.
Once on the iPad, it is easy to create a basc video with iMovie.
I have a friend who is a executive at a major broadcast network. My friend claims that most of their content under 15 minutes is created using iMovie and similar applications.
This is especially useful for news, events and sports highlights.
If you have 2 people involved, one can be capturing with the camera, while the other edits the video. As necessary, you connect the devices to import the latest shots. When editing is done, you simply send the video to YT, etc. or your own server.
It is a very efficient workflow and allows quick turn-around.
Enterprises build their own CMS solutions that the iPad can leverage with the iPhone.
Exactly!
I suspect that the next iPad will have enough power to take on a lot more of the "on-the-spot" editing needs.
Here's a video clip I shot a few years ago on a Panny AVCHD.
I was fooling around with FCPX on my iMac to see how quickly I could highlight the action.
Sports Highlight
The last few seconds show the highlight.
It took about 5 seconds to do this:
1) create color shape filter
2) set key frame
3) scrub forward
4) adjust shape filter
Repeat steps 2-4 as needed.
This particular highlight had 4 key frames.
I could have added Slo-mo, stop, reverse, zoom, etc. with a few more seconds of work.
My point is that the next-gen iPad could likely support this kind of [almost] real-time telestrating... and a lot more.
It's nice to hear that iPhones and iPads are being used in many different fields of business. Considering that some people are still calling these products toys, I'm glad there are some sensible people taking advantage of Apple products and putting them to good use. It's nice to know that these businesses aren't waiting for Windows 8 tablets which will arrive late next year.
This is a personal example...
Two years ago, the grandkids lost their paternal grandmother.
My son-in-law took several weeks, and many computer hours, creating a tribute sideshow with iDVD.
Last week, the grandkids lost their uncle.
My 16-year-old granddaughter was charged with creating a tribute, ASAP.
She had to sort through thousands of photos on a Picasa web site, download them, create a video then upload to YT for friends and family.
Long story short... She created 3 different videos in 2 days.
They are quite good -- with music, titles and Ken Burns effect on almost every photo -- to zoom in on her uncle.
The longest time was spent downloading photos from Picasa and uploading the finished movies to YT.
She could whip out a 5-minute video with 71 protos in about 20 minutes...
Oh, forgot to mention... She did it all on iMovie on her iPad -- never even touched a pre-post-PC computer.
Does USA Today employ thousands of reporters?
Now, I recognize that Gannett owns more than USA Today. But it would be unusual (though not out of the question) for a parent company to dictate how all its publications would deploy technology.
as a former Gannett employee I can say this is a stupid story. Gannett is bleeding so bad they are probably down to around 1000 employees worldwide that would get the use of these devices. If buying 1000 iPads is stockpiling, i guess i "stockpile" several items too.
Down to 1000 employees worldwide? Hmm, I wonder if Gannett itself knows.
Down to 1000 employees worldwide? Hmm, I wonder if Gannett itself knows.
that get to use them i said......
they probably have around 25k workers worldwide, but there are alot of people in those numbers that sweep the floors.
as a former Gannett employee I can say this is a stupid story. Gannett is bleeding so bad they are probably down to around 1000 employees worldwide that would get the use of these devices. If buying 1000 iPads is stockpiling, i guess i "stockpile" several items too.
i'm a former gannett employee too, and i think your math is a bit off.
first we have USATODAY. which has 1500 employees. what percentage would use ipads for newsgathering or social media? let's be conservative and say 20%. that's 300 ipads.
gannett also owns 23 broadcast stations. i've worked in 3 of them and in a station of around 100 people, the newsroom and online makes up around 30-40% of that total. that's 35 ipads per station or 805 ipads
then they own 82 daily newspapers. if you add up the number of reporters, web personnel etc. what would that average number be? i have no solid data...but i would image it's at least 20 people. that's 1640 ipads.
that's 2745 ipads...and we haven't even factored in their international patnerships.
i know they've been bleeding personnel over the last few years, but they're still a very large company with a large appetite for ipads.
It's nice to hear that iPhones and iPads are being used in many different fields of business. Considering that some people are still calling these products toys,
Don't forget the netbooks! They are stockpiling thousands of netbooks! And some people call them toys! The fools!
BTW, the story doesn't say what proportion of the devices are netbooks. Might be that almost all of them are netbooks, and very few are Apple products. Why aren't they stockpiling MiniMacBooks?
The cameras explain the iPhones and the iPhones explain the iPads.
Do the iPads explain the netbooks?
Are they "stockpiling" iPhones and iPads... or simply "buying" them?
Sensational headline much?
It seems they are buying them in large numbers and then stockpiling them prior to a big distribution early next year.
So ... both.