8 winning Reels ideas for reporters

Proven short-form video formats local newsroom can use right now

Short-form video continues to rise in importance for media companies who realize that it’s one of the most common and popular ways that audiences want to consume their content today.

There was this Editor & Publisher piece this week that laid out how local news organizations are leaning into vertical video as audiences continue shifting to the platform.

And I actually wrote a white paper that was released this week for the Local Media Association that outlined the opportunity that Reels provides local media organizations with real-world tips.

It’s hard to find many news organizations today that don’t recognize the need for vertical video, but knowing you need to do it and actually doing it, can be two very different things.

So in today’s newsletter I’m going to outline a variety of ways I see publishers approaching short-form video in hopes you can take an idea or two away and implement it locally.

1. Shoot a video from your car

This reporter shoots Reels from her car, which provides a quiet space to share the highlights of her story, in a format that has become very popular on TikTok. The reporter does a nice job introducin–g the topic, sharing a screenshot and then teasing into watching her entire package

🎥 Watch it: https://www.facebook.com/reel/872529745754038

2. Use b-roll, talk about what you’re showing

I love this approach from a reporter who is rolling b-roll of what she saw this morning at a scene as she talks in a green screen format below about what was happening. You could also do this with rotating photos if you don’t have the video.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI4xIFdN5qy/

3. Show what’s happening behind you

If you’re a reporter on the scene, set up a phone that can showcase what is happening behind you, like this reporter did while covering a fatality. This works incredibly well in breaking news situations.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DQzSnXrijbg/

4. Do a rundown of the stories of the day

This Reel shows the Long Beach Post producing a rundown of the day’s headlines in a pretty casual way. What makes this work so well is the reporter is actually at the scene of one of the stories he’s talking about. If you do a morning newsletter, you could consider repurposing the content from that into the script for this kind of video. Also taping something like this in your newsroom would be completely fine.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4rELB4PYfK/

5. Show the story behind you on a green screen

This Reel features a reporter explaining a complex story with a screenshot of their story behind them. This could work well even if you just left that screenshot but the reporter drops related images and charts on top of the story, as well.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4kxtb9I87g/

6.  Go fast and show yourself having fun

This Reel is a fun way to see scenes from a professional golf event (note the speed at which you move from video to video) and the reporter being featured eating is a nice touch that adds a human element into all of it.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reels/C8KNfIuutWU/

7. Run a gallery and front it with talent

This Reel shows an anchor featuring a big talker among their audience: a very popular gas station and market may be coming to town. She provides the news in a warm and inviting way while images of the gas station run behind.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUpUC-6jeoU/

8. Ways to show things to do

There are two Reels below that are out of Nashville that do things to do in different ways. One is to have a short video that shows something in the city with a tease to see the entire list in the captions. The other actually lists out the things to do on the video. Both work well.

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFfs-8_uPo9/

🎥 Watch it: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNscm002NBQ

We can help guide your Reels strategy

We know how to help editorial teams build winning Reels strategies through trainings and workshops. Reach out to me today at david@davidarkinconsulting.com so we can talk about how.