UC journalism program partners with video-workflow platform Latakoo
Cutting-edge training to prepare aspiring journalists for future in broadcasting
The University of Cincinnati has entered a partnership with the video workflow company Latakoo. Used by broadcasters around the world, the platform first became available in the classroom to aspiring journalists in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences this semester.
It is the first such educational partnership for Latakoo, which will be used to train students on industry-standard video workflow to produce news stories, with an eye toward giving UC journalism graduates an edge in an increasingly competitive market, as the industry needs more multimedia-trained journalists.
UC professor of journalism and department head Brian Calfano
The Latakoo platform expedites what was a complex process of collaborating, transferring, transcribing, transcoding, managing, delivering and sharing video content, streamlining the flow of information in an industry where seconds count.
Professor of journalism and department head Brian Calfano, who has used Latakoo in his own career for 10 years, was instrumental in bringing the technology to UC students.
A working TV reporter with multiple Emmy nominations, Calfano knows whereof he speaks. His broadcasts have appeared on Spectrum News 1 Ohio, WKRC Cincinnati, KOLR and FOX 2 St. Louis, among others.
To illustrate the value of the platform, he shares a common broadcast news scenario.
“You've got X number of minutes. Are you really going to want to upload and download content and then put it into some kind of software to clip and change things around and then end up losing out being the first to get something on air because you had to go through this clunky process?
“Or do you want to have something that's a one-stop shop that's fast and reliable and gives you the flexibility to be able to draw from the expertise of folks all around your company? That is, in a nutshell, what Latakoo is doing.”
Using Latakoo in class has been super helpful. I can edit videos right on the platform.
Brooke Kinebrew UC journalism senior
The platform first became available to students in Calfano’s Journalism Research class, and has earned at least one supporter. Brooke Kinebrew, a UC journalism senior and an associate producer at Cincinnati’s WLWT, says Latakoo makes her more efficient.
“Using Latakoo in class has been super helpful,” she says. “I can edit videos directly on the platform. The videos also upload super fast. I also love the idea of being able to access everyone else’s video clips because in a newsroom it’s so important to work together as a team to be efficient and effective.”
Latakoo software is used by companies such as Nexstar Media, the largest local broadcast owner in the country; Charter, which owns and operates Spectrum News; and NBC Universal. In addition to the Journalism Research class, Latakoo will be available to students in the TV News Producing and Media Bureau classes in the spring semester.
Says Jade Kurian, Latakoo president and former journalist in a release: “We know that video content is a cornerstone of journalism, and our platform gives creators anywhere the ability to quickly share and work with their content. Using Latakoo will provide students with the tools they need to excel in their future careers.”
Featured image at top: Broadcast journalism students training in UC's new TV studio. Credit/Beth Vleaminck
By Serigne Thiam
Student Journalist, A&S Department of Marketing and Communication
artscinews@ucmail.uc.edu
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