Media Releases

VoxPop – Dynamic Innovation from RNZ

Released at 10:46 am on 5 January 2017

“Vox Populi” – the voice of the people – takes on a whole new meaning as RNZ helps the launch of the latest digital innovation VoxPop.

VoxPop creates a dynamic source of content for broadcasters by using mobile devices. It enables radio networks to quickly and easily collect, package and play the voices of their audiences. It’s a new take on the traditional street interview used to gauge public opinion on topical issues.

VoxPop allows the media to ask questions of people on the street without sending out a reporter, because people comment through an application downloaded to their android smartphone.

Using VoxPop is simple - the smartphone owner presses a button on a device to begin recording and talking, then presses another button to stop the recording. After previewing the audio clip, it can be uploaded to the servers of the radio station where producers or journalists process it for broadcast.

RNZ’s head of digital Glen Scanlon said VoxPop was a clever digital approach to giving listeners the chance to have their voices heard on-air.

“In the past we have relied on reading out people’s reactions from emails and tweets, but now we have a way to make New Zealanders more part of what we do.”

He said the APP, the brainchild of RNZ reporter Peter Fowler, had been created to use with other radio stations in mind.

It allows producers and journalists to use listener generated content in a very quick and highly efficient manner.
The first VoxPop comments will be heard on RNZ’s Summer Days with Jesse Mulligan from Monday 9th January.

The VoxPop app. can be downloaded from the Google Play store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.debiana.voxpop

The APP was built by Andrew McMillan, a Dublin based developer formerly employed by Google. While initially only available for android users, an IOS version is also being developed.

Ends