NAB, Scripps, Fincons Group and News Literacy Project partner on demo to show how newsrooms can use NextGen TV technology to engage viewers with educational, interactive content.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has partnered with The E.W. Scripps Company, international IT consultancy Fincons Group and educational nonprofit the News Literacy Project to create a first-of-its-kind demonstration of how news companies can embrace the interactive content opportunities of NextGen TV to fight misinformation as the new broadcasting standard continues to roll out across the country.
The demonstration focuses on how local TV newsrooms can utilize NextGen TV – also known as ATSC 3.0 – to create dynamic and interactive content on important topics like news literacy, helping to combat one of the biggest problems facing our democracy – and the media industry – today: misinformation. The 8-minute demo shows real-life examples of how consumers can take an active role in researching credible news sources and testing their own news literacy skills by engaging with interactive content via live programming, thanks to a NextGen TV-compliant application that presents quizzes, polls, tips, a video-on-demand library and additional resources.
NAB Show Premiere will explore how NextGen TV's interactive content opportunities can help fight misinformation.
The demonstration is part of an NAB Show Premiere session at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 21. Following the demonstration, leaders from the participating companies – experts across technology, journalism and news literacy – will engage in an interactive Q&A and networking session at 1 p.m. to discuss the issue of news literacy, what broadcasters can do to help dispel misinformation and how NextGen TV can be activated within newsrooms to engage viewers in this topic and others.
"The important role broadcasters play in educating and engaging American viewers is more vital than ever as we look at the landscape of misinformation that has permeated our culture," said Sam Matheny, chief technology officer of NAB. "NAB is proud to partner with Scripps, Fincons and the News Literacy Project on this session, which uses best-in-class technology to showcase real-life uses of NextGen TV capabilities, inspiring newsrooms and media decision makers on how we can collectively move the conversation on news literacy forward while embracing this new broadcasting standard."
"NextGen TV is a terrific opportunity for companies like Scripps to further our mission to inform, engage and entertain our consumers," said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson. "I'm proud of the work Scripps and our partners carried out to innovate with this technology to support our goal to enhance news literacy – critical to the future of our democracy and the news business at large."
This news literacy TV app shows how ATSC 3.0 is extending its usage from pure entertainment to education and other services to the citizens, making it increasingly clear how NextGen TV can have an ever greater positive impact on people's lives, both as individuals and as communities.
Francesco Moretti, CEO Fincons.US
"We're excited that news literacy is the focus of this demonstration that shows how new technology can be used in innovative ways to educate people to recognize fact from fiction," said Darragh Worland, vice president of creative services for the News Literacy Project. "We're grateful to our partners in this demo and hope this takes off as an exciting new way for people to check and interact with the information they're receiving."