Citizen journo backlash: the new Metallica?

YouTube decided today was the day to state the obvious: News media uses sources!

To be fair, this is actually a “tool” they’ve invented called “YouTube Direct.” Basically, the common people are making spot news with their camera phones and those videos are then uploaded onto YouTube for the Huffington Post, NPR, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle and the WaPo to siphon off of for their own coverage since most of their newsroom are dustbowls by now.

YouTube Direct allows news organizations to “connect directly with citizen reporters on our site so they broadcast this footage and bring it to a larger audience,” Grove said.

Doesn’t YouTube already have the biggest audience in like, the universe? Who really has time to watch the 6 o’clock news these days besides me, but I work in a newsroom so that’s my excuse for putting up with an *unnamed local station.*

Also, to dispute my own grievances, YouTube does indeed have a large audience – but mostly for videos like “Chocolate Rain” or kittens jumping into bags. Aww…

Media organizations can use the interface to “request, review and rebroadcast YouTube clips directly from YouTube users,” he said.

No mention of reimbursement though. That makes a hell of a lot of sense in our economic shittery, I agree. But people used to get paid to do these things. I’m not saying it will replace ultra-produced pieces, but it’s just another downward shift for media professionals if you think about them in a traditional sense: like you know, being good at something and making money for it.

News outlets regularly lift stories from other media sources, so this is nothing new. But usually they produce their own spin on it. While this move supports more diverse content, it will perhaps homogenize how we actually view the news if this picks up a lot of steam.

Which brings me to the Metallica reference. First of all, remember ’90s? Okay, good. Now recall the whines and tantrums the band waged against the Robin Hooded-Napster for doling out their once platinum-dipped records, one song at a time? For frizzle.

Are journalists the new Metallica, resisting the leaky Inter-nets for scooping their Pulitzer fodder and wresting away their coveted beats? I don’t know, just asking.

YouTube’s BigTime news friends seem to view this new relationship as a Jimmy Buffet cover band to their main show. But when the tickets are cheaper to the alternative, is the real thing as wanted anymore? Especially after all those margaritas.

Posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 1:04 pm. Filed under: blog Tags: citizen journalist, internet, Metallica, Napster, NPR, rambling, ramblings, WaPo, YouTube RSS 2.0 feed.