Let's just get one thing straight- YouTube is not Jesus. It doesn't need to be worshipped.
There is no need to pray to the YouTube.Photo: Laurel Kupka
Don't get me wrong, I love YouTube, and I'm not saying it's Satan either. There's a lot of great stuff out there. As far as citizen journalism goes, the videos shot on cell phones and with home video cameras are amazing. The fact that people are turning to YouTube instead of major news outlets for their information is a pretty telling statement about how people have come to view traditional media.
But there are problems with YouTube. What happened to getting your news from an (allegedly) objective third party? How credible is a piece of information that appears on a Web site with videos of skateboarding dogs, people puking and a guy who dresses in drag, calls himself Kelly and talks about shoes ("Oh my God, shoes"). When you can upload whatever you want, who's there to fact check your information?
YouTube now has more visitors than MySpace. Wasn't MySpace the next big thing once? Beware, YouTube. Lots of newspapers and networks are developing great Web sites, and News Corp and NBC Universal are coming after you with what's being called the "YouTube Killer." TV shows, movies and online news from (more) credible media outlets? Could be the next next big thing, and I might say a little prayer that it happens.
You are off to a good start. I liked the point about "the next new thing." I do think, though, that video viewing is moving inexorably to the computer and would have liked to have seen a link to something like vid of the Minneapolis I35 bridge collapse.
Laurel, I like this blog. The picture tops it off and really illustrates your point on the whole 'worshipping of YouTube.'
What about looking at this the other way around. You wrote in your entry about the "YouTube Killer" but what about turning viral videos around.
Instead of looking at YouTube as a source of information, why not try to find the story behind the online video?
ABC News just launched a new show iCaught that takes user generated video then goes and finds the stories behind those clips.
It's a new interesting way to find stories and tell them. There's some great videos on YouTube, some even better than what our news cameras can catch. But, behind the great video are some great stories.
So instead of looking at YouTube as something that may be hurting journalism, why not look at it as something that is enhancing journalism.
Journalism has many different faces and to me it's telling someone's story. I look at YouTube and see thousands of stories just waiting to be told by a journalist.
Here's a brief example. Take a look at the original YouTube clip about New York's Jimmy Justice. When watching it you just see a clip of a guy with a camcorder catching a cop breaking a parking regulation. Then ABC got the clip, found Jimmy Justice and put together this report.
YouTube: is it taking over the world? ... it is the "new" age-old question.
Last semester I almost pulled my hair out over YouTube debate. I didn't think it was a big deal -- and I still don't think it's a big deal. (I'm right there with ya Laurel!)
As much as I hate to admit it... Adam brings up a good point. It's a great source for finding stories.
For those of you reading this who don't know me, or what I do... I'm a producer at Fox 4. I get TONS of e-mails and calls for people wanting me to cover their story. Most of the time, it's because they don't know how to get their story out and they hope that I will be able to help them. The problem is, I can't always help them - there's not enough time in the day (or newscast for that matter)... and they're not always good ideas.
However, if you look at YouTube to see what stories or video people are attracted to it can give you an inkling as to what the public is talking about.
I'm going to go on a limb and challenge you guys to look at those stories. Why do you think people love watching Bush and Cheney making fools of themselves. What does it say about Americans? Would people react the same way if Bush's approval rating were higher?
Adam has a great point. & I would discern between what people watch for entertainment and what people watch for news value. Look at how we use YouTube. . . How many of us heard a news story on-air (from the bridge collapsing to Michael Richards comedy club rant) and then went to YouTube to watch the raw footage in its entirety? You Tube is not only driving stories, it's shifting and expanding content. In the era of 10 second sound bytes and 2 minute news packages, it has the potential (note "potential") to expand upon the news we are currently absorbing.
I agree with everyone that YouTube is great a source for story ideas, and is even a good supplement to news (looking up the raw video as Tracy pointed out). I just don't think it's a great news SOURCE.