With the recent advent of Youtube Direct, citizen journalism just became easier, and a little more legitimate.   Before, users had to submit their news stories to media outlets via more traditional means, such as by mail or god forbid, email.  With more and more people though shooting and uploading videos, the media had to find some way to keep up with the racing pace of technology.  Enter in Youtube Direct – with its easy interface and massive built-in audience, Youtube has now provided news outlets with a ready source for citizen news stories.  Users may now embed Youtube’s video upload functionality directly into their own site.  Using Youtube’s API, sites  are customizable, and editors have the built-in capability to accept or reject submissions.  It’s a handy and exciting new tool in the progression of social media, that taps into the potential of social media, while also providing a mechanism for the content regulation and verification that is a current criticism of online media.  It’s a great idea that all outlets should grab a hold onto as people move away from their television screens and to their computer monitors.

However, Youtube Direct isn’t just for news agencies, it can also be utilized for businesses, non-profits, politicians, or just about anyone who wishes to connect with a target audience.  Businesses could feature content that reviews or favours their products, or post up promotional campaigns; non-profits could use it to spread awareness about their work and goals; and politicians could utilize it to connect with voters.

For more on the impact of how Youtube is impacting the world of citizen journalism, check out this interview with Olivia Ma, Youtube’s manager of News & Politics:

Olivia Ma on YouTube as a news channel from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Related posts:

1. According to YouTube, YouTube is Awesome
2. YouTube serves up one billionth video (of the day)
3. A new paradigm in journalism: social media the real deal at Vancouver’s Olympics

Tags: Google, journalism, YouTube

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