YouTube Direct

Here is a really fascinating piece, published by the New York Times last week, which describes the new Youtube technology that various news organizations are beginning to take advantage of, and incorporating into their business models. “Youtube Direct” is a service that outlets such as The Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR are using to manage user-generated video content for their sites.

This is exciting because it provides an easier way for a sense of communication to be established through video content on MSM channels. For example, a publication such as the Rocky Mountain News could ask for funny or interesting video on local Colorado news, people could submit it through this service, and it would then find a new home of the outlet’s site. This could be an effective business model not only as a result of driving people to a site, but also a new model on online video citizen journalism.

Case Study: Vanguard

This Death Train segment is one of my favorite pieces of journalism from Current TV’s ‘Vanguard’ series. A backpack journalist recorded the dangers that Guatemalan workers face as they attempt to migrate to America. The piece was incredibly moving and I think really serves as a testament to Current’s form of mass sourced citizen journalism. Last night, I noticed that Vanguard has recently been added to Hulu providing another outlet for people to stumble upon this great series.