Cover it now with Cover it Live
Every so often a tool comes along that every multimedia journalist should know about. Cover it Live is one of those tools. This easy-to-use, embeddable live-blogging program allows users to cover speeches, sports and other events in real time. And, the basic package is completely free.
To host an event the user (or users) need only sign up, log in and schedule a show time. Cover it Live then generates the highly functional console shown below and an embed code for the event that can be placed in a blog or webpage.
Filterable IM chat with links and photos is only the beginning. Cover it Live cans stream video with the help of services such as Livestream and Qik. It also offers a Youtube quick link, supports Twitter and has an iPhone app. As if that’s not enough, there is a built-in polling feature and running stats on viewership.
So how does the reader see your live event? After you place the embed code in your blog the IM-like window shown below will appear. Content administered by you appears immediately without refreshing and the reader need never leave your site.
After the live event is over Cover it Live will generate an archived version that includes links and photos.
Some other very practical features of the tool are the tutorial demos and the ability to host a practice event that allows new users to become familiar with the tool before going live. The site also showcases several live performances so you can see it at work.
Check it out.
