The recent testimony of FBI Director James Comey has sparked a renaissance in live news coverage across major affiliates, all through Facebook Live.

Live like never before

With 26 million live views total, the Sinclair Broadcast Group set unprecedented numbers with innovative coverage, all made possible through Facebook.

NowThis garnered 1.5 million views on their video summary of Comey’s opening statement alone, while Fox News’ Live broadcast boasted 280,000 real-time reactions.

The New York Times ushered 800,000 views with traditional video coverage via their own Live feed, while The Washington Post, mixing commentary with live footage, was shared more than 6,800 times via Facebook users.

Innovative news is more than a trend

WJLA’s digital news property, Circa, provided millennial friendly screencaps with text overlay to concisely convey recaps of the hearing, harkening to a familiar and palatable meme format.

With all the numbers crunched, it’s safe to say that news reporting has crossed a threshold. Not only did Live provide real-time coverage, it made it interactive.

Commenting, reacting, and the ability to share, all played a role in garnering viewership in the millions. This new approach may shape how events are reported and how we the audience consume it.

Could this be the new frontier of news media? Give us your comments in the section below.