Earlier I had posted about the Youtube Challenge for citizen journlists.  Well the winner is in, Arturo Perez did an excellent video on Camphill, Calif., a community where adults with developmental disabilities work and live together.  Browsing the entries you can see how journalism is changing and there is a need for citizens to fill in where MSM can’t.  Media Shift has an great write up about the event and the videos that stood out to him.  I think the last paragraph says it all:

“But for independent journalists like (Arturo) Perez, monetization is not a necessary component for success. For those who are just starting out in the industry, it’s a chore to just get noticed, and over the past few years we’ve seen several examples of online video stars — who started out making videos for free — getting snapped up by major media organizations.

In a world crowded with journalism and film school grads, the online video giant (YouTube) may serve as a way to rise above the cacophony of aspiring journalists and take control of your own career path.”

With main stream media entering in a crisis that has effected quality and extent of coverage it is great to see that the new generation of journalists  still want to tell stories.  The people who participated in this contest will be telling stories for years to come because of the internet, despite the challenges.

(h/t Simon Owens)