The Korea Herald has provided the Asian Games News Service with over 7,000 media staff reporting the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The service provided by the AGNS team varied from previews of each and every competition, reviews and results of each and every competition, press conferences, as well as the ever so important quotes from the athletes themselves.

The AGNS team, most if not all, traveled to more than one venue on any given day. In order to provide live coverage of each match, the reporters and sports experts were the first ones on site and the last to leave, making sure each of the competitions and press conferences were attended, while any important quote had been taken down.

The AGNS website located in the “myINFO” homepage of the Incheon Asian Games main site, received, on average, 77,000 views a day during the Asian Games. Including the daily views for the Korean articles posted, the press conference and important notices, the total views add up to well over 110,000 views daily.

In the midst of the games, the AGNS team had the pleasure of interacting with the thousands of media reporters, photographers, and press managers alike.
 



“One of the strong points is when you have a program like this it helps because most often you are caught up for time. When you travel your body takes a beating going all around to different venues. It helps, believe me. Quick quotes, you need it. The gold medal result comes out, you look at quote, you add it in and in five minutes the article is up,” Alaric Gomes of the United Arab Emirates Gulf News shared.

 
“For the Asian Games, its just me alone for Gulf News. I'm normally a guy who doesn't sit in one place, I go to at least three different events a day and that is too much for anyone. I can't be everywhere at once so the AGNS service is definitely something I need, I can't rely on anyone or anything else," Gomes continued.


"I trust the service enough to use it in our newspaper. I've used it in the past, I know it is reliable. It’s here to help, and I appreciate the work they do. For one person to do it, it's impossible. This is not a sprint, it's a marathon, I really appreciate the help I can get.”

Lee Hoo-min, of NewsOne said of using the AGNS website, “We have a team of eight here at the games. When I, or my team, cannot make it to the a particular competition, or if we miss the chance to interview an athlete, AGNS news has been very helpful. I was satisfied with the information given.”

Yoshiaki Shichino, of Kyodo News, also complimented the AGNS team’s speediness, “They are really good and quick. When I need some quotes or important info, they are really helpful and they really give good information beyond the scoreboard. The reporters also speak fluent English which is a big help to reporters, especially when trying to interview other athletes.”

In addition to reporters using the AGNS website, live broadcasters have shared their account of using the services.

 
“We have an office in the IBC but we go out to the venue and do the live broadcast for the competitions. We have certainly used the AGNS news service during our broadcasts because it provides live updates, especially quotes from athletes that are needed especially when we do a broadcast right after the game has finished,” explained Daniel O’Hagan of Asian Broadcast Union.

 
“Everything we have that can help the broadcast, is useful and the AGNS news being there certainly helps. We've certainly used them in broadcasts for volleyball and beach volleyball, and football. We trust the information enough to use it in the broadcast.”

Press managers, who handle the countless press conferences given after each award ceremony for the hundreds of athletes have also shared their encounters with the AGNS team.

“AGNS has been a big help, especially when the press isn’t there or the press do not provide the questions needed to proceed with the press conference. They were always very reliable. At the weightlifting venue in particular, there would only be one or two reporters in the conference room with the medalists. Without AGNS being there, we might not have been able to have a press conference at all,” shared Press Manager Suna Jung.

“In my experience with the AGNS reporters, they have always acted professionally, and always gave their best efforts, even to athletes who had not earned a medal, they had gone out of their way to interview them and congratulatedd them on their efforts. I was a translator for the press conferences and the AGNS reporters had provided sharp questions for the athletes and they were a pleasant surprise to the press conference. At times where I was not able to attend competitions from the beginning to the very end, I could turn to one of the reporters for in-depth briefing on what had happened,” shared Press Manager Hwang Hyun-jung.

The AGNS team will be continue coverage until the very end of the games, coming to a close today finishing up with Karate, Table tennis, and Soft Tennis.

The 17th edition of the Asian Games hosted in Incheon will be coming to a close on Saturday night, October 4th with the Closing Ceremony, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

By Alex Isacc (AGNS)

(Photo Credit: Yonhap)