During the pandemic, journalists have had to get used to doing remote interviews. But here is the thing: we got a taste for it now. We have realised remote interviews can be a convenient and reliable option for creating content with guests further afield, so it is not going away anytime soon.
The trouble is that most platforms we turn to are not designed for media interviews. There are some technical workarounds but they may not give you the consistent quality you are looking for as a media company with regular output. That is where Blinder comes in, a platform designed to help you turn conversations into content.
Speaking at Newsrewired, Blinder’s co-founder and managing director Caley Wilson gave a demo of the product that you can watch below, and also an insight into the tool’s journey so far and where this industry is heading.
Growing up in New Zealand, Wilson had a headstart in needing to connect with the world through remote means. Going on to work in the sports industry and PR communications, he realised first-hand the friction that is involved when connecting calls between the media and the talent.
Blinder is a tool that takes into account all of these experiences. It enables you to easily schedule calls between multiple participants and manages time zone differences automatically. A unique link is sent to your guests’ email addresses and/or a mobile phone. Simply clicking the link at the agreed time has your guests talking immediately. Blinder takes care of the recording in HD so that once you hang up, users can download all the isolated files — meaning no crosstalk — and that comes in a range of video and audio formats.
It has recently added additional features to edit the content within the browser. That means cutting out your golden soundbites, adding in customisable branding and then downloading the file so you can quickly post it to social media.
Inspired by the popular graphic design platform Canva, Blinder’s aim is to make remote interviewing easier for users of all levels of technical expertise. You do not need to be a digital whiz to use it, anyone can make sense of these simple features to coordinate interviews, capture content and create stories.
Try it for yourself for free for 14 days on the Blinder website. But if you really want to get the most out of the product, consider some of the premium options which give you more recording time and additional features.
Check out the video to see more on how Blinder works and how it can revolutionise how your newsroom handles remote interviews now and in the future.
