YouTube has launched a newswire service with Irish company Storyful.
The online video platform is the go-to place for most of us to search for funny videos, old songs, how-to tutorials and almost every other sort of entertainment or educational video you can think of.
Now, YouTube is also set to deliver us serious news from around the world, all in the form of first hand videos, just moments after events have occurred.
They have acquired the services of the media team Storyful to verify and grade the news content being uploaded on to the site, and pick out the genuine videos to appear in the Newswire feed.
It is another sign of the ongoing digital revolution that is taking place. For the latest news stories now, viewers will be able to watch broadcasts directly on their mobile phones and tablets, and see the videos from events anywhere on earth.
It is a great coup for Storyful to be selected by YouTube as their partner for the Newswire service. Not only will they be responsible for verifying the authenticity of the videos, but also ensuring that the original uploader gets the credit and financial rewards for the footage.
Iconic news videos from the past such as Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon, and the fall of the Berlin Wall were watched by billions of people in front of their televisions once they had got home in the evening.
The equivalent videos of the future could now be watched on smartphones and tablets by people within minutes of the footage being recorded.
