RUPTLY STRINGER: RT’S VIDEO AGENCY TO SOURCE UGC FROM AROUND THE GLOBE VIA NEW MOBILE APP

MOSCOW, 3 FEBRUARY 2016 – RT’s video news agency RUPTLY  announces the launch of mobile application Ruptly Stringer, which allows newsrooms to access user-generated content (UGC) from anywhere in the world. 

The Ruptly Stringer app allows the agency to obtain  content from eyewitnesses and citizen journalists in a matter of minutes. 

In addition to video sourcing and distribution, the app can be used for live broadcasts, with the agency transferring content to its clients in real-time. 

Built-in geolocation function not only allows newsrooms to place requests for footage in specific countries, but also alerts users of an event that is occurring nearby. 

The instant-reward framework encourages repeated use of the application. “The most popular videos are usually the ones shot by eyewitnesses on their mobile phones, and this UGC content is always of great interest to news agencies, TV channels, and other media platforms,” said  Xenia Fedorova, the head of RUPTLY. “Ruptly Stringer not only allows us to exclusively access this content, but also helps news editors verify the authenticity of the footage received. Thus, all our clients can avail themselves of these unique user-generated video materials alongside RUPTLY’s own quality news content – which is what separates us from the competition.” 

The Ruptly Stringer application was developed on the basis of Babo citizen journalism platform. It is available to Android and iOS users worldwide. 

“Ruptly Stringer is a revolutionary step in citizen journalism,” commented Ashot Gabrelyanov, the founder of Babo. “Now, anyone who happened to be in the right place at the right time and recorded something interesting and unique can instantly submit the footage to the global news media and even get paid for it. RUPTLY’s clients, in turn, get a chance to report on developing stories through the eyes of the witnesses at the scene.” 

Since RT launched RUPTLY in 2013, more than 600 media companies from 41 countries have used its services. RUPTLY provides clients with news videos from around the world, including live broadcasts of the most important events.