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The benefits of using voice-controlled devices for news distribution

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With as many as 30 million smart speakers sold worldwide, innovative journalists are looking to voice-controlled news distribution as a new way to reach audiences.

Over 16 percent of American adults own one or more smart speakers, and 400 million devices have access to Google Assistant. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that according to Canalys research analyst Lucio Chen: “Smart speaker uptake has grown faster than any other consumer technology we’ve recently encountered, such as AR, VR or even wearables.”

Speaking at newsrewired, Robert McKenzie, editor of BBC News Labs, shared some insights into what makes these devices such a strong contender in the future of news distribution, as well as the challenges news outlets may face when launching their own news platforms.

• An exciting new way to interact with audiences

Using voice-controlled devices is an innovative and exciting new way to distribute news. “It requires a lot less effort to interact with something verbally than reading it,” said McKenzie.

• Statistics show positive results

Research carried out by the Telegraph has shown rapid weekly growth. Rob Owers, the outlet’s director of audio and video content, said “the week-on-week growth has been really impressive for us. Stats have also shown that the audience is loyal.”

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