Fusion Partners With Rapt Media to Reinvent Investigative News

by Jen Bergen
April 28, 2016

Interactive, Investigative News Drives Audience Participation, Offers Seamless Mobile Viewing

BOULDER, Colo. - April 28, 2016 - FUSION has partnered with Rapt Media to bring a new generation of interactive news to viewers. This new style of documentary alternates between traditional investigative storytelling and interactive opportunities for the viewer to dive even deeper.

“There’s a new era of news content emerging that prioritizes the participation and curiosity of audiences, and brands like FUSION are leading this charge,” said Erika Trautman, CEO and founder of Rapt Media. “The past year has seen a sharp rise in public interest around investigations, but, until now, those audiences have only been able to view and learn about those investigations through one-size-fits-all content. FUSION is turning that notion on its head by making viewers an active part of these stories and re-thinking the way people can create their own content experience.”

FUSION's first video features an investigation into the dark world of the mugshot website industry, specifically Mugshots.com, a site that posts mugshots online and then charges hundreds to thousands of dollars to take them down. The site has no consideration for whether the subjects of mugshots are guilty or not—a practice many have labeled as extortion.

FUSION’s investigation allows audiences to explore the story for themselves by creating opportunities to interact and participate in the investigation alongside the reporters. Throughout the experience, viewers will be able to examine the stories of three individuals whose photos ended up on the Mughshots.com site, as well as additional evidence, and interviews with a private eye and a lawyer.

“Our goal in partnering with Rapt Media was to create a new kind of interactive investigation that lets our viewers dive deeper into stories and explore the elements of investigations that interest them most,” said Keith Summa, executive producer of investigations at FUSION. “In doing this, not only do we drive an unparalleled amount of engagement, but we also gain a deeper understanding of our different audiences, their interests, what resonates with them, and can ultimately create better content for them.”

The FUSION team was also motivated by reaching its mobile audience, which it estimates makes up half its viewership. FUSION wanted to be able to reach and engage this audience without asking them to download a separate app, as that would likely lead to audience drop-off.

“Working with Rapt Media allowed us to reach audiences and offer them a seamless content experience across multiple devices," said Summa. "This was crucial to us because we know that we’re attracting more fans through mobile and we never want them to feel like their investigative experience is disjointed or limited by the fact that they’re viewing it on a mobile device rather than a full screen.”

For more information on the latest from FUSION’s new interactive, investigative series, visit Fusion.net.

About Rapt Media
Rapt Media has created the only interactive storytelling tech combining personalized narrative with unparalleled data integration. Our HTML5, mobile-native video platform gives you the power to intrigue, turning viewers into participants and engagement into real insights. Welcome to the future of video.

About FUSION
Through impactful journalism and smart commentary, FUSION covers the stories that matter to the new, rising American mainstream. FUSION is part of the Fusion Media Group which is owned by Univision Communications, Inc. FUSION content is available to audiences across a broad range of platforms including cable television (channel listings) and FUSION.net as well as various OTT providers and social media platforms -- @ThisIsFusion | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube.

Contact:
Ashley Dennison 
104 West for Rapt Media
[email protected] 
303-552-7460

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