BBC launching user-generated TV-show

The value of user-generated content is a hot topic today. Lot's of people have their doubts about the quality and the viability of user-generated content. Some even suggest that user-generated content is shit,... well at least most of the time. I think these people are right. In 95% of the time user-generated content IS shit.

But that's not the point. The biggest user-generated content success story today - actually the biggest content success story by all criteria - is Youtube. And the reason why is because Youtube is a brilliant filter and aggregator. Its homepage filters all the quality stuff out of the piles of shit by means of their top-ranking lists of the most viewed, and best rated content. Youtube is also a great aggregator because it allows bloggers to embed Youtube video content in their blog. I don't know about you but when I embed a videofile in my blog it's because I'm really convinced that the clip is so good that it's worthwile sharing with you.

That being said. BBC News 24 is launching a new TV program based entirely on
user-generated content, called "Your News." This is what cyberjournalist wrote:
The new program will draw on the 10,000 emails the BBC News website gets from the public each day with story suggestions, comments and pictures from the public. The program will include:

• Your Story – weekly news report unique to Your News covering an issue raised by a member of the public.
• Your Questions – Your News reporter Laura Jones sets out to investigate answers to the questions sent in to the BBC by the public on issues, local or national, that concern them;
• Your Pictures – images sent into the BBC from the public with their view of the world;
• Your Top Stories – that week's top stories on the BBC News website and elsewhere.

In other words: the BBC has created a format that allows them to become a filter for the most interesting user-generated content. The BBC quality criteria is the only criterium for which content will make it to the screen. So don't tell me that there's no future in user-generated content.

http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/003911.php

Kudos: Hendrik Mertens for the link.