ABC News app transforms news consumption from obligation to fun

Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on July 22, 2010 at 2:16 PM

U.S. television network ABC News has launched its iPad app, but with a different take on the e-reading experience, aiming to "redefine news as a leisure activity," the Huffington Post reported today. The app is the first to be launched by a broadcast news division.

Functionality is centred around a 3-D "news globe" that users spin in order to find stories from the network's website, and videos from its different news programmes, as well as its extensive video archive, which dates back to 1963.

"ABC News continues to leverage technology to tell the stories no one else can and this innovative new app is the next step in our effort to redefine broadcast journalism for today's consumer," Anne Sweeney, co-chairwoman of Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, stated in a press release.

The news app is "one of the more innovative" news apps out there, Macworld's David Dahlquist wrote. "You can filter the globe by selecting your favorite topic or show, save stories to a "My Favorites" folder for offline viewing, and share stories through Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. If the globe interface doesn't tickle your fancy, you can revert to the standard ABC Web interface."