YouTube Direct 2.0, new and improved with photos, a mobile app, and more

Last fall, we announced the release of YouTube Direct, a tool that allows media organizations to request, review and rebroadcast YouTube clips directly from YouTube users, and on their own website. In addition to our launch partners (ABC News, the Huffington Post, NPR, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, and WHDH-TV/WLVI-TV in Boston), many other news organizations and websites -- including the Tribune Company, Gannett, Al Jazeera, and ITN News -- have signed on and are using the platform to collect citizen reporting and commentary around news events all around the world. There are nearly 400 news partners on YouTube able to use YouTube Direct to generate news content that helps them extend and engage their audience.

Today, we’re rolling out the latest version of YouTube Direct, which includes substantial upgrades that make it easier for news organizations to test and customize the platform. In addition to several back-end changes, we’ve also added new features including:

• Now citizen reporters can submit photos as well as video
• Mobile application code for both the iPhone and Android
• Ability to view and edit YouTube captions for any video submitted (with support for all caption languages)
• Multiple YouTube Direct upload modules now possible on a single page
• Additional customization and messaging options

If you’re already using YouTube Direct, we strongly encourage you to upgrade. And if you haven’t yet embraced the platform, but want to use YouTube to connect with a larger audience, now is the perfect time to get started.

For more information, visit youtube.com/direct. And to receive updates and announcements in the future, please subscribe to the YouTube API Announcements Google Group.

The first batch of assignments on YouTube Direct

As we announced yesterday in the YouTube blog, we've launched a platform that makes it easier for citizens and media organizations to share footage of news events. It's called YouTube Direct, and it's an open-source platform that allows any organization request, review, and re-broadcast news videos on their own site. You can find out more on our landing page at youtube.com/direct.

Seven different news organizations launched the platform with us - here's a quick synopsis of the call-outs they've made. We're keeping a running list of all assignments over on our Reporters' Center, so check back there often for updates. If you're interested in the opportunities below, click on the name of the news organization to get started.

ABC News

ABC News is asking people to submit videos telling the country what they're thankful for. They'll broadcast the best videos on Good Morning America on Thanksgiving Day. Here's more from the GMA anchors here, and here's Robin Roberts call-out video on YouTube:



Huffington Post

The Huffington Post is asking for your videos on climate change, in the lead-up to the COP-15 conference in Copenhagen this December. The submitter of the best video will get a free trip to Copenhagen to join the leaders gathered there. That's a pretty good incentive, I'd say. Learn more from Matt at the Huffington Post:



NPR

NPR is launching a new initiative called "WonderScope", in which they ask you to submit videos that make abstract scientific ideas accessible to people. Check out their great launch video here, for inspiration:



POLITICO

The POLITICO is asking for your thoughts on Sarah Palin's new book, in the "Arena" section on their site. Political pundits, head on over there and submit! They'll be launching new topics frequently, and you can be featured alongside top political opinion leaders from inside the beltway on their site.



The San Francisco Chronicle

The Chronicle is taking a local approach - they want your videos of street performers in San Francisco (and take it from an SF resident, there are lots). Learn more from Dan Hirsch at SFGate.com:



The Washington Post

The Washington Post launched not one but three assignments yesterday. Dr. Gridlock is looking for your bad traffic footage, Dan Balz is asking for your thoughts on a GOP resurgence, and the sports section is looking for the best high school football rushing touchdowns in the area. Here's Dr. Gridlock:



WHDH-TV in Boston

Last but not least, WHDH-TV showed the promise of local TV news organizations using YouTube Direct. Not only did they launch a version that asked locals to submit videos on Coach Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on a crucial 4th down in the Patriot's Sunday evening loss to the Colts - but they've already shown some of the best videos on their broadcast. Check out this great example of the kinds of exposure citizen contributors can get via YouTube Direct.



If you're a news organization (or any other organization for that matter) who is interested in YouTube Direct, head over to the site to pick up the code and get started. We're looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Connecting citizens and journalists with YouTube Direct

[Cross-posted to the YouTube blog]

Every day, people with video cameras are changing the ways we get our news. We see it during elections. We see it during earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters. We see it on our freeways, in our schools and in our public spaces. Almost any event that takes place today has a chance of being captured on camera. As YouTube has become a global platform for sharing the news, media organizations have been looking for a good way to connect directly with citizen reporters on our site so they can broadcast this footage and bring it to a larger audience.

That's why we created YouTube Direct, a new tool that allows media organizations to request, review and rebroadcast YouTube clips directly from YouTube users. Built from our APIs, this open source application lets media organizations enable customized versions of YouTube's upload platform on their own websites. Users can upload videos directly into this application, which also enables the hosting organization to easily review video submissions and select the best ones to broadcast on-air and on their websites. As always, these videos also live on YouTube, so users can reach their own audience while also getting broader exposure and editorial validation for the videos they create.

Though we built YouTube Direct to help news organizations expand their coverage and connect directly with their audiences, the application is designed to meet any organization's goal of leveraging video content submitted by the community. Businesses can use YouTube Direct to solicit promotional videos, nonprofits can use the application to call-out for support videos around social campaigns and politicians can use the platform to ask for user-generated political commercials. The opportunities to use the tool are as broad as the media spectrum itself.

Already, we've seen ABC News, the Huffington Post, NPR, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, and WHDH-TV/WLVI-TV in Boston using YouTube Direct. We look forward to seeing many more organizations to do the same.

To get started, visit youtube.com/direct.

Steve Grove, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched "The WonderScope Challenge"