You Tube launched the YouTube Reporters’ Center on Monday, June 28 as a hub for teaching citizen journalists to become better reporters by providing interviews and instructional videos with tips and advice for better news reporting.
For YouTube, it’s a great strategy. YouTube Reporters’ Center augments their growing news reporting programming presence on the web influenced by the growing hyper-local news reporting movement, and sites like CNN iReport.
Last September YouTube launched Project Report a contest for documentarians and journalists, they have since added new channel features like the dedicated channel type specifically for “Reporters,” and with YouTube’s Reporters’ Center, an added layer of programming to their growing presence and perhaps influence in news reporting both on and offline.
In Washington politics, YouTube’s involvement is transparent, they continue to play a major roll in the distribution of video from the Whitehouse including the President’s weekly address, press briefings, interviews and announcements. On Wednesday, July 1 Obama will answer select user submitted YouTube videos in a town hall during a special online health care town hall event.
In terms of access to government we’re in a new cycle.
