BBC News Labs

I founded BBC News Labs in 2012, and had the pleasure of leading this fantastic team between 2012 and 2016.

BBC News Labs is the Innovation Programme charged with Driving Innovation for BBC News.

BBC News Labs is engaged in industry collaboration, R&D prototyping, hack events (#newsHACK) & innovation platforms

San Francisco & Google – Winter Visit

December 4, 2015BBC News Labs, Catch-up, Collaboration Work, Travel, UncategorizedGoogle, Google Campus, InAndOutBurger, San FranciscoMatt Shearer

From a cold and wintry London, some business at Google brought me to San Francisco, and I was able to catch up with Amy, Russ, Susan & family.

Innovation Collboration in Berlin – MIZ Babelsberg Workshop

October 21, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration Work, News OrganisationsBBC R&D, BBC R&D North Lab, Berlin, Chris Pike, Germany, Innovation, Paul Wakely, Virtual RealityMatt Shearer

An interesting 2 day innovation workshop in Berlin, at MIZ Babelsberg, to look at some innovation opportunities with the German public broadcaster ZDF.

Hamburg for #NewsTech15 – Newsroom Technology (EUROVISION)

June 12, 2015BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, TravelARD, EBU, Europe, Eurovision, Germany, Hamburg, NDR, Public Service Broadcasters, RTV Slovenija, SVT, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), TV Gallery, TV StudioMatt Shearer

I’ve just spent the last 2 days with a group of European Public Service Broadcasters from Turkey, Sweden, Slovenia, France, Germany, Bulgaria and more.

#newsHACK London 2015 – The News Industry Accelerator

June 4, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration Work, News Organisations#newsHACK, Financial Times, Innovation, London, Martin Moore, Robin Pembrooke, shoreditch, SKY NEWS, Steve Herrmann, Swansea University, The Conversation, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Times, Trinity Mirror, Wall Street JournalMatt Shearer

We’ve just held #newsHACK in London, in partnership with Global Editors Network, and including an impressive spread of News organisations.

Wales University #newsHACK Cardiff (#newsHACK VI)

March 26, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, Rapid Prototyping#newsHACK, Alison Quinn, Basile Simon, Cardiff, Iain Tweedale, Innovation, Jeremy Tarling, Karolina Iwaszko, Universities, WalesMatt Shearer

Today I visited the #newsHACK VI event in Cardiff. The Wales Connected Studio team have setup this event, following the #newsHACK approach, to engage with Welsh Universities.

BBC News Labs in NHK Research Publication – Feb 2015

February 25, 2015BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration WorkInnovation, Japan, NHK, Public Service Broadcasters, TakanobuMatt Shearer

Kindly, Takanobu from NHK sent the NHK Monthly Report on Broadcast Research to us at News Labs, and it features Storyline and #newsHACK write ups, in Japanese.

Nairobi #newsHACK: BBC Connected Studio World Service Africa

February 4, 2015Achievements, BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, Speaking Appearences, Stage Appearences#newsHACK, Andy Poulton, BBG, Cynara Vetch, Dmitry Shishkin, iHub, Innovation, Josiah Mugambi, Kenya, Laura Harrison, Mark Flashman, Mary Lusiba, Miriam Quansah, Nairobi, Nairobi Garage, Peter Horrocks, Richard Caller, Sheng, University of NairobiMatt Shearer

This event, in Nairobi Garage, was a hack event held by BBC News Labs and Connected Studio to prototype & launch new pilot News services that will reach young African females.

Working at the BBC East Africa Bureaux – Nairobi, Kenya

February 2, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, TravelAfrica, BBC East Africa Bureaux, Jonathan Chapman, Kenya, Laura Harrison, Mary Lusiba, Miriam Quansah, Nairobi, Richard CallerMatt Shearer

Last Friday, and today, we have been working from the BBC East Africa Bureaux in Nairobi. Lovely office and charming staff.

Remote working at Lake Nakuru – Great Rift Valley, Kenya

February 1, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, TravelAfrica, Andy Poulton, Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Lake Nakuru, Laura Harrison, Lynsey Smith, Mark Flashman, National Park, Richard Caller, Safari, Sam KomboMatt Shearer

In the run-up to the Nairobi #newsHACK, we spent the day today working on strategy and preparation in the wonderful surrounds of Lake Nakuru National Park.

Remote working at Cafe Ubuntu – Maai Mahiu, Kenya

January 31, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, TravelAfrica, Cafe Ubuntu, Great Cafes, Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Laura Harrison, Maai Mahiu, Mark Flashman, Richard Caller, Sam KomboMatt Shearer

Today we spent at Cafe Ubuntu in Maai Mahiu working on BBC News Labs strategy, and on preparation for the Nairobi Connected Studio #newsHACK event.

Nairobi Connected Studio #newsHACK – Tech Briefing

January 29, 2015BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, Stage Appearences, Travel#newsHACK, Africa, Cynara Vetch, iHub, Josiah Mugambi, Kenya, Laura Harrison, Nairobi, Richard CallerMatt Shearer

We just ran the Tech Briefing for the “Connected Studio: World Service – Africa” event, at the iHub in Nairobi. This covered Juicer, Content API, FrontLine SMS, and WeChat.

Visit to SKY NEWS

January 15, 2015BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration Work, News OrganisationsGeorge Richmond, James Murphy, Laden Oksuzer, London, SKY, SKY NEWS, TV Gallery, TV StudioMatt Shearer

At last we got around to visiting James Murphy, George, Laden et al down at the SKY complex in Osterly.

#newsHACK III – Language Technologies Hack – Tower Bridge

December 17, 2014Achievements, BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration Work, News Organisations, Rapid Prototyping, Stage Appearences#newsHACK, Catherine Boggan, Chris Ambrose, Deutsche Welle, Dmitry Shishkin, Hackathon, Innovation, James Montgomery, Journalism, Journalism as Data, Language Technologies, Laura Harrison, London, Mark Flashman, Rainmaking Loft, Robin Cramp, Susanne Weber, Tower BridgeMatt Shearer

#newsHACK III – Language Technology was a 2 day hack event in London focussed on “Multilingual Automated News Services of the Future”.

BBC News Labs – Christmas Season Asynchronous Workshop 2014

December 9, 2014BBC News LabsAnthony Onumonu, Asynchronous Workshop, Barbara Zambrini, Basile Simon, Gill Bennett, Harry Robbins, Hugo Simmonds, Jeremy Tarling, Karl Sutt, London, London Pubs, Mark Flashman, Melanie Moeller, Paul Wilton, Rob Cochran, Rob Liddle, Silver Oliver, The Queens HeadMatt Shearer

This year, we held our News Labs’ Christmas/Festive Asynchronous Workshop at The Queens Head on Acton Street in London. We also had a Jazz Band playing.

Neurotech Rig Demo at Imperial College for DE2014.org

December 3, 2014BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, Demo AppearencesBasile Simon, BBC Rewind, Data Science, Data Science Institute (DSI), Dr Chao Wu, Imperial College London, Jeremy Tarling, Knightsbridge, Lauren Moorhouse, London, News Archive, Peter Rippon, Simiao Yu, Tim Cowlishaw, Yi-ke GuoMatt Shearer

Today we demonstrated the “OPTIMAL MEMORY RIG” at the “Digital Economy 2014” conference at Imperial College London. This “Rig” uses BBC Archive clips to trigger an emotional reaction in users, and to measure their “fixation” on topics.

SKY NEWS Labs Visits BBC NEWS Labs – Part II

November 21, 2014At BBC, BBC News Labs, Broadcasters, Collaboration Work, News OrganisationsGeorge Richmond, Innovation, James Murphy, Laden Oksuzer, SKY, SKY NEWSMatt Shearer

Today James Murphy from SKY NEWS Labs visited us in the Central Lab again, and this time he brought along George and Laden along. The previous time James visited was almost exactly 1 year ago – 20th November 2013 – straight after we met at #newsHACK 2013. We shared our projects updates, talked about shared issues, … Continue reading SKY NEWS Labs Visits BBC NEWS Labs – Part II →

BBC World Service YouTube Editors visit News Labs

November 14, 2014At BBC, BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration WorkBBC World Service, Carol Olona Ferrer, Esra Dogramaci, Innovation, Maria Spiridonova, Marko ZoricMatt Shearer

BBC News is a large department, and so I am frequently meeting new teams. Today I met a great team from BBC World Service – the YouTube channel editors.

News Labs at MozFest 2014 Science Fair – look: BEARDS!!

October 24, 2014At BBC, BBC Connected Studio, BBC News Labs, Collaboration Work, Demo Appearences, Video AppearencesAlex Norton, Graham Lenton, Greenwich, Karl Sutt, London, Melody Kramer, MozFest, Ravensbourne, Rosario Rascuna, Susanne WeberMatt Shearer

Another amazing tiring, flat-out exhausting demo marathon at MozFest’s 2014 event “Science Fair”. And this year, slightly more bearded men than last year.