Create a Student News Broadcast using Google+ Hangouts On Air


As I mentioned earlier, each week some friends and I get together to produce a YouTube show using Google+ Hangouts On Air called The Google Educast. Here's an example of the final product.

Now with a Google+ and YouTube account, students can create a news broadcast show for the world to watch. Here are some instructions on how to pull it off on your own. The instructions in this post may become outdated as the technology changes. I'll try to keep them current with crowdsourced help here. Please comment in the doc.

With Google Docs and Hangouts On Air, students can prepare, produce, and broadcast a news show quickly with little to no cost. Here are the steps.


  1. Develop segments for the broadcast. Sample segments include …
    1. Latest news
    2. Sports reports
    3. Upcoming events
    4. Study tips
    5. Teacher feature
    6. Student on the street
    7. Service spotlight
  2. Create a shared document and develop the segments assigning responsibility among the various reporters. Write up scripts if desired, or simply bullet points.
  3. Determine a regular time when this broadcast will “Go Live.”

Getting the Technology Ready and Promoting

  1. Name the show and determine what Google account will host the show. The account must have YouTube and Google+ enabled, so work with and admin to get that all set up. Ideally, an account is created specifically for this weekly show.
  2. Spread the word to the student body with short links to the Google Plus page that will host the show.
  3. Create a Google Plus Event, select that the event will be a Hang Out. Make the event public. Share the link to that event everywhere … Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
  4. Each reporter will need a device that can run a hangout. Usually reporters at a desk will use a laptop, and reporters in the field will use mobile devices. Make sure you pay attention to light and sound. USB microphones are really great here. Watch out for being too backlit.


  1. One of the reporters (or the producer) needs to start the hangout.
  2. Go to the show’s YouTube account > Upload > Broadcast Hangout On Air
  3. Invite the other participants, but don’t yet begin broadcasting.
  4. Set up the lower thirds by using the Hangout Toolbox.
  5. The top of the hangout screen has an “embed” link. Click on that > Copy the YouTube link
  6. Go to the Google+ event page > Edit Details
  7. Paste the YouTube link in the YouTube box.
  8. Tell EVERYONE to go to the event page to watch the broadcast.

Go Live

  1. At the dedicated time, “start broadcast,” and wait for the countdown.
  2. Go through the show.
  3. Whoever “owns” the Hangout can override the automatic screen selection by clicking on the corresponding screen.
  4. When done, click “end broadcast”
  5. The broadcast will then be archived in YouTube and you can send that out after the show.
  6. Congratulations!

    k out  Niilo Alhovaara's Doc on Happy Hangouts.


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