YouTube journalism

Los Angeles Times by Moisés Naím | Dec. 20, 2006 (Opinion)

The website can turn any ordinary person with a camera into a journalist, a more powerful version of the "CNN effect."

YouTube has 34 million monthly visitors, and 65,000 new videos are posted every day. Most are frivolous, produced by and for the teenagers who make up the majority of the site's visitors. But some are serious. YouTube includes videos posted by terrorists, human rights groups and U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Full Story »

Posted by David Patterson

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4.2

by Bob McInnis - Oct. 1, 2008

Naim brings balance to the issue. Most of the videos posted on YouTube are frivolous efforts to escape the brain numbing sameness of mainstream media. This doesn't make it journalism anymore than 'Survivor' or 'Scrubs' or 'The Daily Show'. While occasionally entertaining, there aren't any checks and balances to ensure accuracy (mainstream media doesnt have many either). The so called 'YouTube' effect is really just an extension of the CNN effect - with 24 hour news bringing 'new' stories ever hour much of what is covered is at best shallow.