On the study tour during INMA’s Media Innovation Week last fall, we made a stop at Yle, the Finnish broadcasting company, and were introduced to the concept of “liquid content.” 

It’s the idea that we consume content how we want to: We may watch audio, read video, or listen to text. Beyond that, it’s a form of personalisation.

And it’s a term that resonated. Mika Rahkonen, head of strategy at Yle, told me he’s been surprised how his brief mention about liquid content has “taken on a life of its own.”

So let’s talk more about it in this edition of the newsletter. And let me know what you think: amalie.nash@inma.org. 

Amalie

P.S. Thanks to those who have completed this survey to give me input and direction on the Newsroom Transformation Initiative this year. If you haven’t had a chance to fill it out, I’d love it if you did.

“Liquid content” puts the consumer in the driver’s seat

Mika Rahkonen, head of strategy at Yle, said Yle was talking about liquid content almost 10 years ago — it just wasn’t called that. And he said he didn’t coin the term: He believes it initially came from Google’s Matthie Lorrain.

It came up as Yle was building its first personalised news app Newswatch, and the team believed personalisation based on topics is — and has to be — just the first stage of personalisation.

“And how form and shape and probably the length of content will follow along the same idea,” he said.

This was the idea, he said:

If you want to listen to anything we’ve published, you can.

If you want to read it — whether it was originally audio or video — no problem.

If we know you are listening to news articles every morning at 8 a.m. when you’re commuting to work, we can offer you news articles in audio exactly at that time.

The concept also applies to location: If we know you like to read long stories when you’re in your summer cottage, we’ll push those to you when you’re there.

“For the past 10 years, it’s been really hard to make people understand what news personalisation is or can be,” Rahkonen said. “I’ve tried to approach misunderstandings and talk to traditionalists/skeptics by underlining that the alternative to a personalised media news feed is not a traditional one news feed for all with big audiences like it used to have. The alternative to personalisation is a traditional one news feed for all with very small (and diminishing) audiences. From this perspective, this is crucial to understand. And liquid content is just one approach to that.”

Rahkonen pointed out that the concept remains conceptual and strategic in many ways — Yle isn’t there yet. But, he said, evolving technology will make it easier to create liquid content. Tools allow journalists to transfer the text to audio or the audio to video, for instance.

“I see this as a very cost-effective way,” Rahkonen said. “Pretty much the same content, different platform. Public service media (and a lot of other broadcasters) has done this on a different level for a long time — creating TV and radio news stories from the same material — and a lot of times it might be the same actual story, really.”

Liquid content puts the consumer in the driver’s seat — they can have it in any form they want, he said.

“Looking at media consumption habits, I'd say this might be a good way to reach new audiences as well. Maybe you can generate your news stories via a template to your TikTok feed?” Rahkonen said. “Although you really need to know the platform and be really good there so that you’re not just the awkward uncool uncle at the party as traditional media has historically been trying to reach new audiences on new platforms.”

Jukka Niva, head of Yle News Lab, offered this great insight on liquid content:

• User needs are crucial (the user’s need at a certain point of time): Is she on the bus? How long is the drive — four or 40 minutes? What kind of content would be suitable for a bus trip compared to driving a car yourself?

• Personalisation a big, big deal here. In the future, it’s possible that different versions of a piece of content can be made (with the help of AI) to suit a customer’s need at that certain point. 

• Liquid content can also be news content that is different based on a customer’s prior use. Example: Let’s imagine Amalie has read many Ukraine stories. When something newsworthy happens in Ukraine, Amalie gets a shorter news piece on that because the news app recognises Amalie already knows the basic background of the Ukraine war. Jukka, on the other hand, hasn’t consumed Ukraine stories at all, so when something newsworthy happens in Ukraine, Jukka gets a longer version with more basic background information on the Ukraine war.

• This would require rebuilding news desk workflows. A desk reporter would write the new information into the publishing system, and the system itself would tailor a suitable Ukraine story for the specific user, including text/video/audio. 

What do you think about the concept of liquid content? I’d love to hear it: amalie.nash@inma.org.

How to write an effective explainer

I’m a big fan of explainers and other alternative story formats — research shows readers prefer multimodal storytelling over a traditional 800-word story.

Explainers, in particular, should be part of your content repertoire this year. What’s an explainer and how can you write an effective one? I rounded up some advice and best practices. 

Vox is well-known for its explainers, which are touted this way: “We live in a world of too much information and too little context. Too much noise and too little insight. That’s where Vox’s explainers come in.” 

The New York Times wrote an explainer on explainers: Why We Write Explainers: An Explainer. Here are some excerpts from the article:

What are they?

“Explainers break down tricky news topics quickly and clearly — and answer questions that readers are searching online. They can also guide readers through personal quandaries, such as how to file their taxes.”

What topics make good explainers?

“A good explainer question is one that people can’t answer with a quick Google search.”

What is the value of explainers?

“The Q&A format is easily navigable and more digestible, especially on a phone screen, than an article with continuous paragraph formatting.”

OK, so how do you write an effective explainer?

• Complex topics in the news often make for good explainers. For instance, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders on his first day back in office, and several media outlets wrote great explainers breaking down those actions and what they mean. Processes also can make for effective explainers, such as how to file an insurance claim.

• Start the piece with a breakdown of the topic, followed by questions and answers or subheads that introduce the various elements. Consider what questions readers will have (and surface what readers are googling on the topic).

• Write in a conversational tone. Don’t use jargon and keep the writing clear and concise.

• Make sure the article stands on its own and is not dependent on knowledge of the topic. Include links in case people want to go deeper.

• Consider video explainers. Videos are a great format for breaking down a complex subject and can be added as an element to other stories on the same topic. Here’s an example from NBC News: How Trump’s second term agenda could affect the economy.

Finally, here are a few other recent examples for inspiration:

• How the Los Angeles fires highlight the challenge of disaster relief.

• What to know about spasmodic dysphonia, the condition that affects RFK Jr.’s voice.

• Donald Trump’s trade tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China explained visually.

• Five takeaways on Trump’s opening trade salvo.

Does your newsroom do explainers? Have any good examples to share? Let me know: amalie.nash@inma.org.

About this newsletter

Today’s newsletter is written by Amalie Nash, based in Denver, Colorado, United States, and lead for the INMA Newsroom Transformation Initiative. Amalie will share research, case studies, and thought leadership on the topic of bringing newsrooms into the business of news.

This newsletter is a public face of the Newsroom Transformation Initiative by INMA, outlined here. E-mail Amalie at amalie.nash@inma.org or connect with her on INMA’s Slack channel with thoughts, suggestions, and questions.

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