NBC News has acquired user-generated live video streaming service Stringwire in a move to bring in more mobile content for the news organization across multiple mediums.

The goal behind NBC News? acquisition is to give the news organization new digital means for newsgathering and collecting eyewitness accounts of breaking news. Stringwire is described as a personal broadcasting platform for mobile live video that lets consumers set up a channel that can be shared via social media to users who are near a breaking news story.

?Stringwire will allow us to solicit and publish user-generated video in a frictionless way,? said Vivian Schiller, senior vice president and chief digital officer of NBC News, New York.

?We are exploring all of the ways it can be incorporated into our products, from our on-air programs to digital platforms like NBCNews.com and BreakingNews.com,? she said. ?We believe there are non-news applications as well.?

Mobile news gathering
According to NBC News, Stringwire will allow the news organization to collect content from eyewitness contributors all over the world.

Once a Stringwire channel has been shared, consumers can take and shoot video straight from their mobile browser.

NBC News will reportedly benefit from the acquisition by arming on-the-scene consumers with the tools to capture exclusive bits of video that can then be repurposed by the media organization.

With the company?s acquisition, NBC News will be the first media organization to use Stringwire?s technology to help cover live events.

In addition to acquiring the mobile video technology, NBC will also bring on Stringwire?s founder, Phil Groman, as the product lead for the project.

What is interesting in NBC News? acquisition is that the company jumped on Stringwire before the company?s service has actually rolled out, pointing to the shift for big organizations to bring in startups to help build up a company?s mobile presence.

Consumers who visit Stringwire?s Web site can sign up to receive updates when the product is live, and Mr. Groman will work out of NBC News?s San Francisco office to finish building Stringwire.

A screenshot showing how Stringwire is shared via Twitter

Changing newsroom
News organizations are undoubtedly stretched for time and money these days, and over the past few years some news organizations have relied on social media to fuel content for breaking news stories inexpensively.

NBC News? acquisition of Stringwire could also give the news organization a competitive edge since the company will be able to start creating content immediately while other news organizations have to wait while sending out reporters and producers to the scene.

However, as more news organizations invest in mobile, consumers? attention spans are decreasing.

In fact, new research from Localytics found that the number of consumers who launch news apps grew 39 percent year-over-year from July 2012. This translates to the average consumer opening up news apps 25 times per month, up from 18 a month last year.

The session lengths from news apps, however, was down 26 percent year-over-year, meaning that users want more instant, quick content than they have in the past.

NBC News will need to use Stringwire strategically to increase retention in a way that offers consumers a strong value proposition to draw consumers into using the product.

?NBC News has a vast newsgathering operation, but we can't be everywhere at once,? Ms. Schiller said.

?Stringwire allows eyewitness contributors all over the world to participate in the newsgathering process,? she said.

?This product would not be possible without mobile and social. It is born out of these two present-day realities.?

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York