As rumored last month, YouTube this week unveiled its latest partnership: a collaboration with ABC's local Bay Area news station that makes it easier for users to upload relevant local content they've snapped on their cell phone or other mobile video device.
On YouTube's blog, YouTube's news manager Olivia Ma says that ABC will then choose uploaded videos to run as part of local TV news coverage as well as on ABC7's Web site.
Alongside video content it's already received, or curated from known local YouTube users, ABC is encouraging users to go out and shoot assignments. The ABC page also has an embedded Google Map of video reports so users can zero in on their particular neighborhood and drill down by news, weather, events, or local information.
The project is an offshoot of YouTube's Citizentube project, which curates user-captures of breaking news events and attempts to add context in blog form. The project has been running since early 2008 and has amassed some 1,100 clips. According to Ma, this effort from ABC uses the company's YouTube Direct platform, which lets companies encourage user video uploads on their own sites, using YouTube's servers and distribution channels on the back end.
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