Despite all these issues...
We wanted to solve ATVN's issue of low viewership and engagement from USC students.
Because ATVN doesn’t need to chase views as a pedagogical newsroom, it’s not primarily concerned with attracting high viewership for every show. We wanted to spark a conversation on the importance of engaging our audience and implementing that as part of the learning experience, especially because today’s media landscape is undergoing a crucial transformation, and it’s impossible to ignore the steady decline in TV broadcast.
Why Audience Engagement?
01 Improve Quality of Reporting and Relevancy of Content
Having a large audience means viewers can provide feedback, ask questions, or share their perspectives. This can help ATVN better understand their audience's needs and interests and help to generate ideas for new stories/topics to cover.
02 Community and Connection
Audience engagement can help ATVN integrate itself deeper within the USC community. This time next year, organizations aware of ATVN's presence can reach out and share the happenings on campus. Christina Bellantoni echoed the need for ATVN to establish a more personal connection with the USC community. One way it already does this is by covering the USG debate/election every year. ATVN could be doing a lot more of this with other events on campus, but that's something that can only happen if students are engaged and they know about ATVN.
The Question
How can we drive USC students to learn about ATVN and engage with ATVN content?
Research
Our Survey Findings
Direct Quotes
From faculty
“From my perspective, I really think it would be great for ATVN to really experiment with different ways of doing television news, because it's true... your age is not necessarily watching.” — Professor Willa Seidenberg, founder and former director of Annenberg Radio News
“One of the difficulties is that ATVN has to serve so many students, but as a result we see so many stories that are not as interesting as they could be.” — Barbara Pierce, Adjunct Instructor
From the student survey
What would it take for you to watch ATVN, broadcast, or video news in general?
“More advertisement”
“More awareness, I'm sure I would check it out if I knew what it was”
“More exposure”
“I didn't know where its available”
“If it was short and straight to the point!”
“If it was more readily available on instagram or in my email!”
“Instagram reels, short videos (under a minute), nice graphic, funny, involve regular random students”
“Having some sort of push notification to let me know it is happening and easy access to it”
low audience engagement Analysis
Note: there isn't data available to showcase whether or not USC students are a part of ATVN’s Youtube audience.
With that in mind, ATVN Production Coordinator Bobby gave his professional insight: the USC students he has spoken to have all shared they don’t watch any broadcast news, much less ATVN. We, as USC students, can also attest that the majority of our peers at this school do not watch ATVN: most have never even heard of it.
Data that is available shows that viewers typically spend under 3 minutes watching ATVN shows on Youtube. For each estimated 30-minute ATVN show that is published, the average minutes watched per view in the past year has been 2 minutes and 43 seconds. In other words, most of those that click on ATVN content leave almost as soon as they’ve clicked. Average views per show are also low, with 22.1 views per show.
Key Takeaway
01 USC students are not aware that ATVN exists. ATVN cannot serve an audience that is not watching.
02 There is a disconnect between the format that ATVN is presented in and the format that USC students consume news.
The Solution
Step 1: Awareness
Before ATVN can begin to increase engagement with its content, it must first direct eyes to that content by increasing its intended audience’s awareness. We have found that the best way to do so is flooding both the digital and physical channels that USC students frequent most.
A majority of the participants from our survey indicated that Instagram is the most popular platform that students use to stay up to date, which is why we have prepared Instagram graphics for the @AnnenbergMedia Instagram account to distribute as well as any contributors or involved parties. Reposting this graphic profusely will optimize its reach. In terms of physical channels, we have also prepared a physical flyer to be printed and posted around USC’s campus, prioritizing spaces that non-Annenberg students frequent is crucial to reach students who are not already familiar with ATVN.
Step 2: Engagement
It is crucial to not only bring eyes to the content but keep them there. In order to do so, ATVN must learn if those new viewers would watch the content it is currently producing. While we could speculate potential adjustments or new special segments, it is more important to go directly to the source to learn what its audience would engage with most. MENTION THAT WE ALSO RAN OUT OF TIME. AND THAT WE KNOW THEY NEED TO MAKE IT MOBILE
ATVN needs a direct line of communication with its audience to secure concrete feedback on its broadcast which is why we propose monthly focus groups with 8 to 10 participants.
Youtube Analytics of Live stream average view duration within the last year (2022-2023).
OUR FIRST SOLUTION WAS NEW ATVN POSITION FOR TIK TOK AND INSTAGRAM
The ATVN Instagram account isn’t currently used to post content from its live broadcasts. It’s instead used to showcase the behind-the-scenes of what it takes students to put on a live show. How-To, A Day in the Life, and staff introduction videos are the main type of content posted. Graham Clark Stocklein, Annenberg Media’s digital producer, mentioned that the Instagram account named @AnnenbergMedia is the main USC account used to post news. He explained that this account gets the most engagement from people in the USC campus, including students and alumni. There is more exploration to be done about ATVN’s social media engagement, but so far, it seems that Instagram could be a better place for ATVN to engage the USC population.
