PBS NewsHour comes to YouTube

[Cross-posted to the YouTube blog]

After nearly 35 years on air, PBS NewsHour recently re-launched its broadcast program and website in an effort to provide viewers with NewsHour content wherever, whenever and however they want to access it. As part of this transformation, the nightly news program is starting a major new initiative with YouTube.

The PBS NewsHour channel on YouTube (http://youtube.com/pbsnewshour) will host nightly reports from the NewsHour television broadcast, posted the same night the broadcast airs on PBS. The NewsHour will also post web-original videos featuring its new online correspondent Hari Sreenivasan. These news segments will be archived on the NewsHour YouTube channel, ensuring that those looking for video of past news events will easily be able to find it.

The launch of the PBS NewsHour channel is the latest in a series of PBS and NewsHour projects with YouTube, including last year's Video Your Vote project that encouraged voters to film and post their experience at the polls during Election Day 2008. The project attracted more than 2,500 videos from across the country, which PBS was able to incorporate into its Election Night coverage.

While the new NewsHour program, website and YouTube channel represent the evolution of how we consume the news in the 21st century, the journalism within will continue to engage, inform and enlighten Americans about the issues and events that directly affect their everyday lives — just as it has from the very beginning.

Jim Lehrer, anchor of NewsHour, and Obadiah Greenberg, YouTube Strategic Partner Manager

Kofi Annan, Thomas Friedman to join CNN/YouTube Climate Debate panel

Last week, we announced the CNN/YouTube Climate Debate in Copenhagen, an effort to make sure that your voice is included in the climate debate - and that your questions are posed to decision-makers on an international stage.

These leaders will include Kofi Annan, Thomas Friedman, Yves de Boer, and Bjorn Lomberg.

To submit your question, upload a short video of yourself posing the question and submit it here: www.youtube.com/cop15. We've already seen some top-notch video questions like this one from Mo in Florida who is concerned about the cost of going green:



Angela asks about the consequences of climate change and what happens if Copenhagen leads to nothing:



And Helena in Rio de Janeiro is asking about environmental education in schools:



You can vote on your the questions above and others, and submit your own at www.youtube.com/cop15. The debate will be live-streamed on this YouTube channel on December 15 so make sure to watch and see if world leaders answer your question.

Israeli President launches official YouTube channel

Today, Israeli President Shimon Peres announced the launch of the Israeli Office of the President YouTube channel, located at www.youtube.com/peres. YouTube co-founder, Chad Hurley, was also present with President Peres in Jerusalem for the announcement.

A self-described "technology evangelist", President Peres said that he plans to use his new YouTube channel to hold online discussions with a global audience and to promote peace and interfaith dialogue. President Peres joins Queen Elizabeth II, the Pope, Queen Rania and The White House in using the power of the Internet to connect with citizens around the world.

The president's office will be uploading videos that give both Israelis and those living outside of the country a behind-the-scenes look at the Israeli presidency. In addition to housing archived speeches, documentary footage and informational videos, President Peres' YouTube channel will feature an interactive element in which citizens may submit questions and engage in conversation with the President and his office directly.

Be sure to watch President Peres' welcome video:

More from the Student Day protests in Iran

Videos have continued to come streaming into YouTube throughout the day, and we've been updating this playlist with new videos as they've been posted.

This wobbly footage appears to show a clash between riot police and citizens - and shots can be heard in the background:

This video, which we found via the New York Times' Lede blog, shows students protesting at Polytechnic University pulling down a gate that's holding them in:

High school students are also participating in the protests:

This video from earlier in the day shows protesters and the Basiji facing off on either side of a fence:

This video indicates that protests have continued into the night in Tehran:

New student protests in Iran to mark annual Students' Day

Videos documenting a new crop of protests in Tehran this morning are showing up on YouTube. This round of protests are being led by students, marking the annual Students' Day, which remembers the death of three students who were killed during a demonstration at Tehran University on Dec. 7, 1953.

Reports have come in to various news organizations that the Basij, the Iranian police forces brought in to silence protesters, have again used violent means to stop the pro-reform activists marching in the streets.

Here's a playlist of some of the videos that have been uploaded to YouTube today and were allegedly shot in the last 10 hours or so:

This video shows a group of Basij riding on motorcycles through Tehran:

This video shows students lighting a picture of Ayatolla Khameini (Iran's spiritual leader) on fire:

The New York Times Lede blog is live-blogging the events as they unfold in Tehran.

NY State Senate speech on gay marriage goes viral

New York State Senator Diane Savino delivered a passionate speech in front of the State Senate in Albany, NY earlier this week about the Marriage Equality bill. Already at 176,000+ views at the time of this posting, this video is spreading quickly on blogs and social networks.

Check out the video:

And here's a snapshot of the Insight data about how this video is being discovered:

Is Tiger Feeling Lucky Today?

The folks over at Slate V have done it again: brilliant commentary on the latest celebrity scandal -fallen hero, Tiger Woods. Slate's made use of the new Google "Search Stories" campaign and produced this hilarious spoof at the expense of Woods, golf's green-jacket-wearing golden boy.

StillerStrong: Ben gives Lance a run for his money

Watch out, Lance. Ben Stiller is stealing your fundraising mojo...

This week, Stiller launched "StillerStrong," which is self-described as "stealing great ideas from other charities to build a school in Haiti." Hear from Stiller himself about this new project and his new headbands:

Even though the video itself is funny and well-done, what really impressed me was the neat and functional use of external annotations to drive action to various social networking and fundraising platforms. Looks like Livestrong may have some serious competition...check out www.stillerstrong.org for more information.

Connect with world leaders on the climate debate

Next week 192 countries will participate in the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen — the first step in setting new international commitments for carbon reduction. We want to be sure your voice is included in the debate.

That's why, starting today, you can submit and vote on questions to ask world climate leaders during a televised town hall on CNN. With Google Moderator on YouTube for the first time, you can view, add, and vote on video or text questions in one spot.

Questions will be translated into numerous languages using the Google Language API, giving you a chance to read and vote on text questions from around the world. Voting and submissions will be accepted until December 14. You can also track the conversation and vote on new questions. Visit www.youtube.com/cop15 now to get started.

Next week we'll post an update on popular and interesting questions. We're looking forward to seeing what ideas you and others around the world have for addressing climate change.

Two new reporting assignments using YouTube Direct

Two new reporting assignments are now up on YouTube news partner sites.

Al Jazeera English invited users to submit their videos on Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, which took place from November 25 - 29 this year. Did you experience Hajj or have thoughts about this Muslim ritual? You can still upload your videos on the Al Jazeera website.

The Huffington Post launched a new assignment around New York street performers. They're spending the next few weeks collecting video documentation of the colorful world of NYC subway artists and musicians, and they want you to submit your videos here.

Check out this amazing example of Subway Gymnastics:

Join Morgan Freeman to Bring Human Rights Work to Light

YouTube can be a powerful tool championing the rights of individuals and promoting free expression. This month, during International Human Rights Day, we're partnering with Morgan Freeman and Amnesty International to encourage you to become advocates for equality and justice, through Video Volunteers.

Here's how you can help. Create a video about the nonprofit of your choice working on a human rights issue that you care about -- it could be genocide, human trafficking, refugee protection, gender equality or something else -- and submit it to the Video Volunteers channel by December 21. Amnesty International and Freeman, who plays legendary crusader Nelson Mandela in the upcoming movie Invictus, will select three videos to appear on the YouTube homepage at the end of the month. Hear more from Morgan about the importance of taking up this cause:



This is your chance to help citizens around the world who often can't help themselves and to bring the vital work of human rights organizations to light. Join Morgan Freeman to protect the rights of these individuals at www.youtube.com/videovolunteers.

Iraqi Government on YouTube

Governments, heads of state, and leaders from around the world are on YouTube, including the Pope, the Royal Family, and Queen Rania, and presidents from the United States to France,South Korea to Estonia. Today we're especially pleased to announce that the Iraqi Government has launched a dedicated YouTube channel, at youtube.com/iraqigov. Learn more from Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki:

Earlier this year, I visited Baghdad as a guest of the U.S. State Department to engage in conversations about the role of technology in Iraq. In discussions with elected officials, private companies and NGOs, I routinely heard the desire to connect with fellow citizens, Iraqis outside the country's borders, and cultures across the world. But it wasn't just the Iraqi Government who expressed an interest in YouTube — I was pleasantly surprised by the high level of awareness from a wide variety of Iraqis. One young student told us she uses YouTube to understand what is really happening in her country based on the variety of opinions, citizen journalism and news reports uploaded to the site. There was little difference between her examples and those we often hear in other countries, which speaks to both the global community on YouTube and the universality of the video experience.

Just this past week, our CEO Eric Schmidt traveled to Iraq to meet with government officials there about the challenge and opportunities they face. While in Iraq, Eric shot this video forCitizentube:

We hope that by launching on YouTube, the Iraqi Government and their citizens will also find it easy to use YouTube to engage in such conversations, and bring their proceedings, policies and ideas to a larger audience around the world.

Hunter Walk, Director of Product Management