With the Internet democratizing media in many ways, YouTube said in a blog posting yesterday that it has launched a web site aimed at educating so-called citizen reporters on how to report news.
Called the YouTube Reporters’ Center, it features tips from noted journalists like Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times on covering a global crisis without getting shot, Katie Couric of CBS News on conducting good interviews and the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward on investigative reporting.
Blogging queen Arianna Huffington, whose Huffington Post primarily features unpaid bloggers and links to content produced by professional newsgathering organizations, also discusses why she believes it’s important for citizens to participate in the news-gathering process from.
The videos include practical and ethical pointers, like how to fact check, avoid breaking the law while reporting and adhere to journalistic principles.
YouTube is also inviting people and organizations to submit their own videos about reporting for inclusion on the site.
