USING AN ONLINE TV STATION AND VIDEO ABSTRACTS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We launched a monthly online broadcast called “Arizona Mining Review” via Livestream, a low-cost or free video streaming service. The show provides news, interviews, and discussions about mining and mineral resources issues of relevance to Arizona, the nation’s second largest non-fuel mining state.
The costs to set up and broadcast are minor. Interviews with local guests are held in a corner of the AZGS conference room with easy chairs and a couch; long-distance interviews are held via Skype. The broadcast originates from a desktop computer with a webcam, a $60 microphone, three sets of earbud headphones and a powered amplifier. During broadcasts, we supplement interview footage with slides, photos, or video clips that we have or are provided by guests.
Initial broadcasts were live; recordings of these were later uploaded to our YouTube channel. Because scheduling and executing a live Internet broadcast is stressful and demanding for both the production team and guests, we recently elected to record and produce episodes prior to broadcasting them. This allows us more control over supplementary materials used during the broadcast; it also permits us to record the broadcast using a high-definition digital video camera that cannot be used for streaming video.
In addition to the Arizona Mining Review, we record conferences and workshops and special presentations on topical issues. A video on the recently discovered Little Chino fault has drawn over 3,000 views.
Our latest presentations are short 1-2 minute “video abstracts” delivered by authors of new publications released by the Survey. These include maps and graphics from the reports to help illustrate the topics and their importance.
We envision online broadcasts as a viable emergent tool that offers a wide range of opportunities at low cost to aid in distributing our message.