In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

Videos posted by citizens on YouTube during and after disasters are increasingly part of the new media landscape (whether it be Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Gustav, the Midwest floods, or the major earthquake in China earlier this year). However, there is not nearly as much video content on the topic of preparing for disasters in advance. Maybe that will change a bit with the launch of YouTube’s Project: Report contest created with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The contest hopes to encourage “aspiring journalists to produce short, high-quality video pieces focused on stories that are not usually covered by the traditional media.”

I think that citizen disaster preparedness is such an undercovered subject, and I would suggest some aspiring video journalist produce a contest entry on it. I would be very happy to help you in whatever way I can. (Maybe it could complement the “What Should We Tell The Public?” preparedness videos this blog has been posting on YouTube.) 

The winner will receive a $10,000 grant for travel abroad and the opportunity to work with the Pulitzer Center. Finalists will also receive high-end video and editing equipment from Sony and be featured on the YouTube homepage. The submission deadline is October 5th. ”From videos of natural disasters to investigative reports on political candidates, YouTube has become a go-to site for rare and dynamic news stories from around the world,” says Steve Grove, head of news and politics for YouTube, adding, “Project: Report will support and cultivate this type of content, encouraging aspiring journalists to continue informing the world through YouTube.”

If you are interested in entering a video entry about citizen preparedness, send me an email at jsolomon@incaseofemergencyblog.com.