2016 is the year of the live stream. The New York Times alone has produced over 400 videos since Facebook Live launched in April.
To highlight the top five examples of how media companies are engaging audiences on the platform, today we are announcing the first News Media Alliance Facebook Live Awards.
Check out the Facebook Live broadcasts below and vote on our Facebook page for your favorite (or write in a vote) and we’ll share the results on November 1. Congrats to the nominees!
On the Scene Coverage
LIVE: Protests continue in Charlotte. This is a RAW feed, we do not control what you will see.
Posted by WREG News Channel 3 on Thursday, September 22, 2016
The news station in Charlotte, North Carolina allowed viewers to safely watch the protests following the shooting of Keith Scott. The video came with a warning that it was raw footage that they could not control.
Best reporting
Shooting Survivor Describes the Attack—The New York Times
Norman Casiano was shot in the back during the attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. He survived and was released from the hospital, and now he’s sharing his story with us. If you have questions for him, please leave a comment.
Posted by The New York Times on Monday, June 13, 2016
On June 13th, the day after the Pulse Nightclub Massacre, The New York Times’ Facebook aired an exclusive interview with survivor Norman Casiano. He was shot twice. In this interview he recounts the attack. Viewers were encouraged to ask questions in the comment sections.
Fun feature
Eating Words—The Washington Post
We’re eating newspaper. Columnist Dana Milbank was wrong about Donald J. Trump last year about becoming the GOP nominee, and he kept his promise to literally eat his words.
Using newsprint from Dana’s column, chef Victor Albisu prepared a nine-course meal, which Dana powered through. Watch a clearer cut of Dana eating here: http://wapo.st/1UWe9fo
via Washington Post Opinions, Outlook, and PostEverything
Posted by Washington Post on Thursday, May 12, 2016
Columnist Dana Milbank promised to “eat” his words if Trump became the GOP nominee. His print column was cooked into 9 courses prepared by Chef Victor Albisu.
Most Views
The exploding watermelon—Buzzfeed
Watch us explode this watermelon one rubber band at a time!
Posted by BuzzFeed on Friday, April 8, 2016
This 45-minute video was viewed over 10 million times, making it one of the most popular live streams to date. The concept was simple, but the video was addicting as rubber band by rubber band went onto the fruit. 800,000 people tuned in for the live broadcast and it trended on Twitter. Kudos, Buzzfeed.
Best Q&A
Samantha Bee at the DNC—The Washington Post
Samantha Bee at the DNCSamantha Bee at the DNC chats with Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan.
Posted by Washington Post Politics on Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Comedian Samantha Bee sat down with The Post’s Margaret Sullivan for a humorous take on the DNC. Though only a citizen for a few short years, Bee has lots of opinions on the election and the convention. It was the perfect blend of politics and humor.
Contributing writer
