Peeling back the curtain online

We talk alot about peeling back the curtain in television news, letting our viewers into the room to understand how we do what we do.



One of the interesting discoveries of CW Live Chat's impact, is just that. We're peeling back the curtain to reveal how we put a show together.



As the anchor, I chat live with viewers who log into the CW Live Chat room on our website, while they watch the news.



I log in early, at least 10 minutes before the start of the show. So I'm already interacting with the chatting viewers before the show hits air.



That creates all kinds of opportunities to tell them the top story is still being edited, we're waiting for video to be fed in from the scene, we're just learning some new details about our top story, etc.



In commercial breaks I can give them a heads up on a breaking story, that we'll cover coming out of the break.



And it's not just me chatting anymore. My colleagues are all intrigued. My producer logs in every night, and sometimes so does our photo journalist, our reporter and our meteorologist.



They've used the live chat to get a total time to the producer fast, or feed in a last minute nugget.



Viewers can get quick questions to me for the nugget of info they were looking for in a story that wasn't there. And I can give them answers.


When they ask for my political opinions they learn about journalism and the need for someone like me to stay impartial.



It's instant, it is live and it is extremely engaging and revealing. I'm really enjoying the view with those curtains wide open in CW Live chat at Ten!