NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams rolled out its first iPad app this week, just in time for Williams’ reporting from the tornado devastation in Joplin, Missouri.
Organized by day and topics, users can browse video clips or watch the entire broadcast. Leading up to the day’s show, producers post “Nightly News extras” — additional video that may not make the newscast. The video player is clean, simple and shareable on social media. Transcripts are also included.
“This app is the equivalent of our entire newsroom in an iPad,” said Brian Williams. “Everywhere we go, everything we do is right here. Williams’ blog, The Daily Nightly, is also in the app.
Users can keep up on tweets from @nbcnightlynews, the hashtag #nbcnightlynews (for conversations during the show) and NBC News’ correspondents and anchors like Richard Engel and Ann Curry. You can also post tweets from the app, as well. Interestingly, the app encourages you to follow Brian Williams (@bwilliams) along with his other 33,000 followers, even though he has yet to send a tweet.
“We’re on TV, DVR, the web, and now the iPad app adds another front that gives ‘Nightly News’ complete, on-demand portability,” Willliams says.
(Full disclosure: I work for msnbc.com, which is a joint venture with NBC News.)
