CBSNews.com to launch social-centric web show, ‘What’s Trending’

By Andrew Couts May 12, 2011

In this week’s edition of “how social media is taking over traditional news,” CBSNews.com will soon launch a new show devoted entirely to stories that are hot on the web, reports Lost Remote.

The show, called “What’s Trending,” will be hosted by Shira Lazar, who also serves as the show’s executive producer. Lazar joined CBSNews.com in 2009 where she worked as a digital correspondent for the website’s On The Scene blog.

“What’s Trending fills the gap as a broadcast show for the internet generation,” said Lazar in an interview with Lost Remote. “It’s not just a show with a social strategy added on to it — it’s powered by the community and social media.”

In addition to the show, which will be available exclusively on the CBS News website staring on May 17, What’s Trending also includes all the standard social networking outlets, like a blog, a Facebook page, and Twitter and YouTube accounts, all of which are already up and running.

While we have brazenly labeled What’s Trending as a “web show,” the show’s co-executive producer Damon Berger says he doesn’t want What’s Trending to be pushed into such a category.

“It’s important to note that we are an interactive TV show that is distributed online,” says Berger, who also co-founded a digital entertainment company, Disrupt/Group, with Lazar. “We don’t view ourselves as a ‘web show.”

What’s Trending is only the latest talk show by a traditional media outlet to embrace the fast-paced world of online news.

Earlier this year, Al Jazeera English launched “The Stream,” a live talk show that airs both on television and online, which bases its content on everything from incoming tweets and Facebook wall posts to YouTube videos.

Like “The Stream,” What’s Trending will also include interviews with a variety of Internet-focused experts, and at least some of the interviews will be conducted over Skype.

What’s Trending will air every Tuesday at 1pm EST/10am PST.

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