The Roanoke Times of Roanoke, Virginia has begun offering a daily online video newscast four minutes in length. The newscast becomes available online at 3:30 PM every day.

Editor Mark Riley commented as follows on the initiative: "It is clearly not your granddaddy's newscast … It's highly interactive (built in Flash), and it is an integrated effort involving our newsroom (heavily) and our online team. That structure, along with its playful approach, is what we hope distinguishes the TimesCast."

The Roanoke Times initiative is the latest development in a trend where newspapers and media organisations are recognising the important role the availability of video material on their websites can play in attracting visitors. A number of newspapers in the US and the UK have recently added video material to their websites. (see previous postings here and here)

Source: Cyberjournalist.net