Media companies are racing to find ways of distributing user-generated content, as the popularity of web-produced amateurvideos and photos shows nosigns of waning.
Yahoo and Reuters will today announce an alliance to syndicate user-generated news photos and video in a venture called You Witness. The feature, versions of which are already popular on many news sites, such as those from the BBC, will increase the potential for the distribution of people’s photos.
Content submitted to You Witness will be scanned by Reuters editors, who will select photos and video to be syndicated to thousands of media clients. Reuters may pay for content.
“There is a lot of interest in this type of content, and we’re in the early stages of exploring how a compensation system would work,” said Chris Ahearn, president of Reuters Media. “This is all about simplifying the way people submit their images of breaking news events to the news media and the world at large – and be paid for the work that is used.”
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.