Yesterday, Bay Area local news station KTVU reported on a video posted to YouTube, which captured a BART officer escorting a rowdy passenger off of a train and pushing him into a nearby glass window, which subsequently shattered - cutting them both.
After last year's incident with Oscar Grant, a young man who was shot and killed by a police officer in an Oakland BART station, officials are taking this very seriously. According to the New York Times, the BART called a press conference on Sunday to discuss the video.
There are only two days left to submit your video on behalf of your favorite organization tackling hunger in America to YouTube Video Volunteers for the chance to have it featured on the YouTube homepage. We've already seen some great submissions from a range of users including musicians like HavilahTower:
And filmmakers like nsmith345:
The submission period for this month closes at 12 midnight tomorrow, November 21st, so don't wait to get your video in!
When the University of California Regents announced a 32% tuition hike yesterday, UC students across the state were less than thrilled. In fact, many were downright angry and immediately launched protests, rallies and sit-ins to combat the marked increase. Now, footage from these demonstrations is pouring onto YouTube. Here's a video taken outside the Regents meeting at UCLA's Covel Commons, where a scuffle took place between student protesters and campus police:
Footage of protesters at UC Berkeley:
Hundreds of students sit-in to block the entrance to the parking garage where the Regents are headed:
This video, chronicling an emotional reunion between a soldier and his dog, has found a huge fan base in the past few weeks (likely aided by a screening of it on the Today Show), and is currently approaching the 1 million-view mark:
It's interesting because the video was actually shot in 2005 and posted over a year ago, but is now finding viral success on YouTube.
Today, the creator of the video, Lt. Andrew Schmidt posted an update that says:
"I reached out to the Alexandria, VA, animal shelter to let them know that Gracie is one of theirs. They saved her in 2004. They were elated -- those people have a tough job, and if it picks up their morale, then great. I also told them that they could use it in any way for marketing or promotion purposes, full rights. Hopefully more to follow on that as well."
It's great to see Schmidt using his viral success to do good and help a local animal shelter. If you want to follow in Schmidt's footsteps and help out a local organization with your videos, you can do so at www.youtube.com/videovolunteers.
Check out this amazing user-generated petition on YouTube -- using our collaborative annotations feature and asking people to add their name as a layer on top of the video, this user is collecting support for a climate change deal in Copenhagen this December. Lots of people are getting involved. There's still time to win a trip there yourself, through our COP-15 program - head over to youtube.com/cop15 to submit your video now.
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 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:
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 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:
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 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:
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.
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.
Today is the United Nations International Day of Tolerance and in honor, nonprofit org Global Tolerance is launching a new YouTube campaign called "Tole-rants." Essentially, they are inviting global citizens to film and upload their own ideas for solutions to our planet's most pressing problems -- the catch is that every "tole-rant" has to be under 60 seconds. Here's an overview:
In one year, a jury which includes Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi, will select the best tole-rant and Global Tolerance will work to make the tole-rant a reality. You can upload yours here: http://www.tole-rants.com/upload.
A local Vermont news station, WCAX, reported that a man allegedly stole a tour bus and took it for a joy ride. Not only was he caught -- and now has to appear in Vermont District Court next week -- but being used as evidence against him is this YouTube video, The Fabulous Bus Ride, which he supposedly shot and posted to the site himself.
"Thirty-eight-year-old Jacob Rehm of Morrisville was arrested for allegedly taking the $500,000 bus on a joy ride through central Vermont. The bus was eventually tracked down in St Johnsbury. He's a former employee of the bus company. Rehm is charged with operating without the owners consent.
Now it appears he made a 4 minute video of his adventure and posted it on YouTube. It's titled "The Fabulous Bus Ride" and it gives a tour of the bus and shots of Rehm driving."
Oprah posted this short preview of her highly-anticipated interview with former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, to her YouTube channel this week.
The exclusive interview is set to air on Monday November 16. It sounds like it's going to be a tell-all, so be sure to tune into Oprah - or wait until she posts it to YouTube.
With the end of the decade rapidly approaching (where does the time go?), Newsweek has released this video which chronicles the past ten years in seven minutes:
Looked like this video was pretty exhaustive, but YouTube commenters are already aflutter about the moments that were left out. Check out the video and let Newsweek know if they missed something or if they included something that wasn't quite newsworthy enough (ahem, William Hung?)
CitizenTube is YouTube's News and Politics Blog. Here you'll find important breaking news videos from citizens; developing trends in the use of YouTube by news organizations, activists, politicians, and governments; and lots of other YouTube goodness. Hit us up on Twitter, @citizentube, if you see something worth posting here.
