The Power of YouTube
July 11, 2010
Whether it is a comedic satire, an animated impression or a narrative documentary, there is nothing like the power of video to portray an event or tell a story.
YouTube, video-sharing Web site, was started in 2005 by three former PayPal employees. It was sold to Google for $1.65 billion in 2006.
YouTube has more than 2 billion views per day and can be viewed in 22 countries in 24 different languages. The average person spends 15 minutes a day on YouTube.
Currently, there are nearly 100,000 videos on YouTube about the BP oil spill. The following video is the most popular and my personal favorite. This is what happens when BP spills coffee . . .
Here is a BP Parody: Press Conference Ends Awkwardly.
Thank goodness for honest, empathetic and heart-felt apologies . . .
Sometimes it is very hard to find out the real truth. This short film shows interviews of fishermen and other coastal residents talking about the effects of the BP oil spill on their livelihood as well as their lifestyle.
Good Morning America sent Weatherman Sam Champion to Louisiana to show the underwater perspective of this disaster.
YouTube is also a vehicle to share good solutions to this Beyond Pathetic (BP) crisis. This informational film shows how a material of switch grass and other natural matter can be used to clean up the oil.
As you can view, YouTube is much more than a way to “Broadcast Yourself.” The videos can be for entertainment, informational or biographical purposes. I am hoping they can also be used to solve this country’s worst man-made disaster.
Tags: BP, BP oil spill, British Petroleum, video, video-sharing Web site, YouTube
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2010/07/16 at 4:18 pm
I am writing this several hours after the leak has been capped,and while everyone is holding their breath and praying that the lid will hold.
Although this is not a funny event, it is easy to laugh at those in charge and I did laugh at some of those videos! I believe that the public does not get to hear or see everything that is going on (especially the “fixes” that are ignored), so we need to turn to places like YouTube.
2010/07/14 at 1:19 am
I really enjoyed watching these views. I have been really busy with work, kids, home life and school that I have not been able to keep up with what’s going on with this crisis. The videos are a nice way for me catch up quickly.
2010/07/12 at 1:00 am
Amazing underwater pictures of this disaster – wonder how long it will nature to clean up this mess and at what cost?
2010/07/12 at 12:03 am
What great examples of this powerful medium. With simple technologies readily available to the public, anyone can voice their opinion or show their story to thousands if not millions of people. Additonally, it gives a stronger voice to those who are unhappy with current events or policies. I especially ejoyed the parodies of the oil spill. They are not only entertaining, which give them a greater chance of being pass along, but they also have a meaningfull message. The power that this meidum has is incredible. Video can share much more than print and audio formats can alone.