apple ipad: rethinking the newsroom pt 1
With all of the buzz surrounding the iPad, one thing really surprises me... We are somehow forgetting the evolution of the iPhone, which in my opinion is the "little brother" (or sister) of the iPad. When the iPhone was first introduced, many of the skeptics were simply classing it as another cell phone with a big shiny screen. With the release of the iPad we have become witnesses to the same type of language... "The iPad is simply a big iPhone - OR "... it's just another tablet PC". In my opinion, It's something much, much more.
The iPad represents a new paradigm in how we do things. When looked at as something totally unique unto it's self, we begin to see the limitless possibilities the device offers. From a design perspective - we should start exploring the ability to now replace "paper driven" systems, which effects the publishing industry as a whole, and from an innovation perspective we should start thinking about ways to make what we do from day to day easier.
Over the past year I have had the pleasure of working within the Broadcast industry, where many of the core functions from the news desk to the production table are paper driven. When they first announced the iPad I quickly began to see unique possibilities that would forward green efforts and really start refining our day to day task. From the scripts that Journalist use to the rundowns that Producers and Directors navigate, I began to identify opportunities to not only cut cost, but to also enable the professionals on the WFXL FOX 31 team, bringing them closer to content and making them more agile, all inherited attributes of the iPad. THIS is the type of thinking that I feel will forward the evolution of this device.
The first challenge I wanted to tackle with the iPad was a highly visible and relevant area, the news desk. On the average, our station spends over 2,000USD's a month on paper and printer repairs. By taking ONE function from the Journalist, scripts, and putting the scripts on the iPad, we projected saving approx 1,500USD/mo in this one area alone. If we look at this savings over the 15 Barrington Broadcasting stations - our savings were astronomical.
This only represents the beginning, and while the broadcast industry is only one of many that I can see clear and relevant applications, I feel that by rethinking how we view the iPad we will be able to uncover many news ways to do things...




