Hi Mary,
We have done a bit of this sort of thing...
This may sound like a very obvious thing to say, but just as if you were pitching something for TV, you do need to ask yourself 'is there something interesting to watch here?' And if you're not sure, don't do it!
We've had some success with short packages of around 3 minutes, which we put on our website and on YouTube and then news outlets have embedded the whole package in their site (either from YouTube code or we provide the file). We usually produce these ourselves using kit that is up to producing ok broadcast quality but not HD. We've got our own kit but you can also hire it.
In our experience this works for print outlets who are looking to enrich a web version of a story e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/feb/03/good-guys-draw-faster-gunfights and http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2008/10/10-01.html but it doesn't work for BBC news website or for TV.
BBC and other TV news will still want to do their own filming. However, we have occasionally provided b-roll footage for BBC news website and also BBC and ITV local news. They then do their own interview with the scientist and cut in our b-roll.
Of course the other reason to do VNR is if you have access to b-roll that a news outlet cannot possibly get e.g. Footage from a microscope or a remote field station...
Hope that helps - happy to chat off line.
Nancy
----------------------
Nancy Mendoza
Senior Media Officer
BBSRC
Tel: 01793 413355
Mobile: 07785 710 536
Email sent from my BlackBerry
----- Original Message -----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thu Apr 01 10:27:13 2010
Subject: [PSCI-COM] Video News Releases
I will soon begin working on the dissemination of the results of a big
international clinical trial with an important, simple health message.
The trial co-ordinators are thinking about producing a video news release to
ensure that the message gets out as widely as possible.
I have doubts about this on grounds of cost, and also because I think that
VNRs have a reputation for pushing a particular line without being
objective. I wonder how much this influences their use by mainstream TV
stations.
It will be most important to get the message across in developing countries.
I would prefer to try to get someone like BBC World TV to cover it and
perhaps put something on You Tube, but I'm not sure whether the audience
reached would be the same, better, or worse as that which might be covered
by a VNR.
Does anyone have views on/experience of VNRs?
Thanks in advance
Mary
Mary Rice
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