Creative Expression or Mere Mischief? Team Reck's Vlogs

by Maureen Googoo
A group of teens in New York's Washington Heights who call themselves Team Reck have posted around 40 videos on YouTube, from relatively sedate dance routines to practical jokes that some say go too far. The energetic youths are taking advantage of readily available technology to share their camaraderie and antics with the world. But what is the result? "Sometimes, you cross the line and you don’t realize it. There’s a point when it’s funny and there’s a point when it’s not. And what they did was not funny at all," said local community leader George Espinal. Critics worry about the effects of what they call such anti-social behavior, and fear content-sharing sites may exacerbate the problem.
-Interested in Maureen Googoo's article? Contact her at mag2169@columbia.edu

Current TV takes video blogging a step further

by Lexi Matsui
Taking YouTube.com one step farther, Current.tv broadcasts the average Joe's videos on television. Launched on Aug. 1, 2005, Current is slowly becoming youth culture's best kept secret. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the company, which aims its content at audiences aged 18 to 34, is its famous viewer-created content (VC2). On the site's "Watch and Vote" section, viewers can upload their own three to seven-minute podcasts, which are then voted on by other users. The top-rated videos are then aired on the company's television station, which reaches an estimated 30,000 viewers. Those podcasts that make it onto television award the creator $500 for their first and second selection, $750 for their third, and $1,000 for subsequent submissions.
-Interested in Lexi Matsui's article? Contact her at amm2188@columbia.edu

YouTube: A Place to Break Television News?

by Victoria Baranetsky
This October Columbia University received national media coverage after students disrupted an on-campus speech being given by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist. CTV news, the weekly Columbia Television Station, became the only source to obtain video footage of the event and immediately posted its coverage on YouTube.com. The video pioneered YouTube into the realm of an online supplementary news source, after its recent purchase by Google.
-Interested in Victoria Baranetsky's article? Contact her at vdb2003@columbia.edu