When details about Apple’s iPhone 3G S were released yesterday, citizen journalists took note of an important feature: the ability to upload video directly to YouTube. This tool has the potential to spark a surge in citizen media reports.
Bringing video to the next-generation iPhone has more implications than just casual amateur filmmaking. It can inspire a new wave of citizen journalism when the iPhone 3G S is released on June 19.
The iPhone 3.0 software includes a “send to YouTube” button, a tool that allows video footage to automatically be uploaded to the popular video-sharing site. Just tap a button that shuttles the video to YouTube, sign in with your YouTube account, enter clip information and tap the button Publish.
See the above tutorial clip on how to record video, edit it on screen and then share it.
Video recording capability on the iPhone 3G S will undoubtedly encourage more users to shoot video. Also, a corollary effect could empower citizen reporters to upload more clips to YouTube. A reporter who happens to come across breaking news can record video on the new iPhone, edit it immediately and then upload the clip to YouTube within minutes.
Giving YouTube a citizen journalism polish is nothing new to the video site. YouTube started a Citizen News channel that hosted contests and featured on-the-ground reports from independent media outlets. DigitalJournal.tv reports were often featured on the Citizen News channel.
Adding a send-to-YouTube function has been done before, too. Nokia’s N-series smartphones offer an option to upload clips to YouTube, and some Android-operated phones allow a similar function. But no phone has the same cache as the iPhone. When Apple makes even a minor announcement about the iPhone, the world takes notice.
Combining the popularity of the iPhone with video upload features may give citizen journalists an ideal sidekick in their efforts to inform audiences of breaking news. In fact, the media business is changing so rapidly it wouldn’t be surprising to see mainstream outlets finding unique value in the new iPhone 3G S.
