In a century when news is being watched on computers, iPads, and smartphones, the new Breaking News app by NBC News is providing immediate coverage of breaking stories happening both internationally and right in your own neighborhood. The app, where overall visits are up 50 percent from January to October, sources the Web for news and then sends out alerts about it.
Cory Bergman, co-founder and gm of the app, says that the goal for Breaking News is, "Did we target this person with something new they need to know right now?" He went on to say,
“By really focusing on marrying speed and relevancy, the higher the open rate becomes, the more relevant the notification, the more visitors we get to the app. There’s notification fatigue, and the more straightforward we are, the more loyal they are to us.”
Breaking News has even developed different types of alerts. Users are able to choose among 50,000 different topics and stories to follow. A recently added emerging story alerts notifies users that a story could potentially evolve into a major story. Proximity alerts notify users if news is breaking near their actual locations.
The passive personalization is designed to instantly inform you if something important is happening near you. The proximity alerts are another step in Breaking News' efforts to deliver the most relevant stories to people. What's different with Breaking News is that alerts are tagged to locations which can include a city or ZIP code. Alerts are then sent out to people near that location, as long as the user has allowed the app to access their location.
Breaking News is the first news app to distribute its news by a user's location. Bergman says his team is diving into a new dimension of editorial judgement: determining the geographic impacts of breaking news.
Along with the proximity alert, "Watchlist" is part of the app where users can track breaking news in their favorite interests. The new design is accompanied with infinite scroll, simple navigation, faster search, and an improved iPad view.
Push notifications are at the center of the Breaking News app. Bergman says, "It's really the fastest way to reach people." "You turn it on and never have to do anything again."