Big Media Embraces User Generated Photography
Monday, December 4th, 2006It makes a lot of sense –more eyes in more places = more possibilities to catch that great newsworthy moment.
Because cell phones are so ubiquitious and most now have cameras, they are increasingly used to catch public moments, like the recent racist rants of Michael Richards (aka Kramer), posted on TMZ.
Well…beginning tomorrow, Yahoo and Reuters, in the most ambitious effort to date in the citizen journalism arena, are introducing a new effort to showcase photographs and video of news events submitted by the public.
Big media has always used stringers and photos/video obtained from the public, but this project will create a systematic way to incorporate images covering a wider range of topics into news coverage.
According to a New York Times story:
Users will not be paid for images displayed on the Yahoo and Reuters sites. But people whose photos or videos are selected for distribution to Reuters clients will receive a payment.
However, it’s rife with possible problems. Just last summer, a Reuters
freelance photographer digitally altered photos of the conflict in Lebanon. Reuters stopped using the photographer and withdrew his work but with today’s technology it’s way too easy to alter photos. It sounds like Rueters is trying to develop software that will help detect altered photographs.
Photos and video can be uploaded here>
