Since the future of local news relies at least partly on engaged citizens, soliciting and verifying their contributions is becoming more and more important for news organisations. It has already happened with PCs and camera phones. Now the Google-owned YouTube is aiming to take it a step further with video.

It has unveiled an interface called YouTube Direct that allows news and media organisations to request, review, and rebroadcast clips directly from YouTube users.

YouTube’s head of news and politics, Steve Grove, says: “People around the world are taking up cameras and covering news in ways big and small – from documenting global events, to filming local town halls in neighborhoods. YouTube Direct empowers news and media organisations to easily connect with these citizen reporters, and use the power of our platform to cover the news better than ever before.”

Here is the HuffPo page where you can see how this works:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/16/hopenhagen-ambassador-con_n_356950.html

But I still don’t see how it helps with the editorial implications…