The group’s digital platform provides heartwarming stories produced by Hearst TV stations across the country.
A story about a woman who helped save people from a burning building aired on Hearst TV’s website Stitch
With the onslaught of bad news coming at us 24/7, consumers are increasingly yearning for stories that touch on the brighter side of life. Hearst Television is giving viewers just that with a new digital news outlet designed specifically to deliver those stories that rarely spread further than the communities that spawn them to a national audience.
For the most part, the station group’s platform, called Stitch, is populated with stories that were originally produced by Hearst stations for broadcast TV but have been repackaged for digital consumption. They are relatively short, running from one to five minutes long.
And they all — that’s right, all — are heartening stories that counter the tough stories covering everything from political instability and mass crime to world events that barrage news consumers around the clock.
The videos tell stories about extraordinary people, like the 10 year old boy who celebrated his birthday by feeding the homeless and the man who donated part of his liver to a two year old girl he didn’t even know. Others highlight positives that emerge from dark situations, like the story about volunteers coming together to care for pets left homeless by California wildfires.
“Many of the local stories we tell are extremely resonant in local communities but are universal in theme,” said Andy Fitzgerald, Hearst Television’s vice president of digital content. “We are going after audiences across the country [who want] this kind of heartwarming content.”
And there are upsides for Hearst in doing so. Stories branded by the stations that produce them often drive traffic to those affiliates’ digital platforms, increasing their audience reach. At the same time, Stitch elevates Hearst TV’s stature as a national digital player.