Bloggers and 'Qikkers' Amplify New Media Voice at The Democratic National Convention
Content syndication widgets from NewsGator consolidate blog posts and mobile phone video streams, presenting ultimate source for unfiltered convention action
DENVER/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As bloggers and
video bloggers gain influence over presidential politics, the
electorate has a fresh way of tracking their portrayal of this week's
Democratic National Convention in real time. Denver-based NewsGator
Technologies is aggregating new media feeds in content syndication
widgets especially for the convention, enabling any individual, media
company, webmaster or social network to freely grab and plug the widget
into their own site. These widgets are views into the real action at
the convention from an aggressively unfiltered perspective.
The "NewsGator Big Tent Widget" http://www.bigtentdenver.org/
is a Web-based window that captures, consolidates and displays blog
posts (RSS feeds) the instant authors publish them. The widget will
show the latest content first, with priority on hot topics and popular
blogs. Anyone can grab the widget with a single click and share it with
readers, viewers, and friends, or just keep it on their personal start
page. The widget is named for the Big Tent new media center built for
the convention.
The "Qik Convention Widget" http://qik.com/dncwidget
is a similar content syndication app that consolidates and streams live
video as mobile phone users capture it using Qik's phone-to-web
service. Qik enables some of the world's most immediate and dramatic
citizen journalism, and Qikkers were instrumental in breaking stories
in Beijing during the Olympics.
"Qik users can broadcast live video from wherever they are, directly
from their cell phone, whether it's a family gathering or a major
national event," said Qik CEO Ramu Sunkara. "Now, Qikkers streaming
live from the DNC can connect with an even wider audience thanks to
NewsGator's widespread widget distribution. Combining Qik's live video
service with NewsGator's broad syndication power gives bloggers at the
DNC unprecedented reach."
The NewsGator Big Tent Widget consolidates feeds from nearly 200
bloggers, new media journalists and nonprofit leaders credentialed for
the Big Tent, the 9,000-square foot new media center and blogger home
base hosted by Progress Now, Daily KOS, and Alliance for Sustainable
Colorado, and sponsored by NewsGator, Digg, Google and others.
"The influence and impact of new media in recent years is
undeniable, but many folks miss out on the conversation aspect of
social media," said Jeff Nolan, vice president of NewsGator's Media and
Consumer division. "We're making it easy to follow the conversation --
and, in fact, join it -- by putting the entire chorus of Democratic
National Convention bloggers and Qikkers in one place. With either
widget, it takes a single click for any publisher, traditional or new,
to bring the historic conversation to one's own web site visitors."
Aggregating blog posts is a natural service for Denver-based
NewsGator, whose RSS readers for Windows, Mac and the Web are the most
popular on the planet. In addition, many traditional media companies --
including CNN, Media General, National Geographic, Newsweek, CBS News,
Reuters, USA Today and Discovery Communications - use NewsGator widgets
to syndicate their articles and photos across the Internet, generating
additional page views and advertising revenue. Bloggers who sell ad
space on their blogs will generate additional readers and income
through the Big Tent widget.
About NewsGator Widgets
NewsGator widgets are easy to create. Companies simply sign up for a
NewsGator account, select a content feed and presentation scheme, then
add the widget to their web page, blog, start page or social network.
NewsGator widgets are unique for their analytics and control. Widget
owners can track page views, click-throughs, syndications to other
sites and special interaction like commenting, rating or forwarding.
Widget-makers can whitelist or blacklist sources and make important
posts float at the top of feed lists. For more information, visit
www.NewsGatorWidgets.com.
About Qik
Qik, the world's leading mobile live video streaming platform, lets
anyone stream video live from their mobile phone to anywhere in the
world. Its innovative, patent-pending technology enables anyone to
share their moments live with their friends and family or the entire
world. Notable events captured on Qik include the lighting of the
Olympic torch from both inside and outside the Olympic stadium in
Beijing, the Mars landing from mission control, and sessions from the
World Economic Forum in Davos. Qik is available on a wide variety of
cell phones, including Nokia N-series phones and a selection of Windows
Mobile phones. Find additional Qik videos, including those streaming
live, here: http://qik.com/.
About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.
NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies
leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The
company's enterprise social networking and widget services are in use
by hundreds of the world's most recognized brands, including Bank of
America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter
& Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise
Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content,
expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget
Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their
audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral
syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS
aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients.
For more information, visit www.newsgator.com.
Source: NewsGator Technologies, Inc.
CONTACT: Laura Farrelly of NewsGator, +1-303-552-2046,
lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com; or Karen Pantinas of Beaupre, +1-603-559-5836,
kpantinas(at)beaupre(dot)com, for NewsGator
Web site: http://www.newsgator.com/
http://qik.com/dncwidget
http://qik.com/
http://www.newsgatorwidgets.com/
http://www.newsgator.com/
