You Tube meets a Pulitzer. Can anyone win the prize?

Project:Report, You Tube’s partnership with the Pulitzer Center, is one of the most promising expressions of We Media to emerge between traditional and everyday journalists. Essentially a journalism contest funded in part by Sony and Intel, Project:Report was created for non-professional, everyday citizens to tell stories that might not otherwise be told.

The simple and important assignment: Tell a story about issues or events in local communities that addresses a topic or an issue that resonates with people around the world. Video submissions should be 4 minutes or less, and be submitted in English or with English subtitles.

The Pulitzer Center supports in-depth coverage of international affairs, focusing on topics that have been under-reported, misreported — or not reported at all. The Center funds reporting on all media platforms and partners with both traditional and new-media news outlets.

The partnership with You Tube represents an enlightened connection to the culture, a world of would-be journalists with storytelling tools, and glocal (global and local) distribution channels. It signals that You Tube, or at least a part of it, is growing beyond the silly and superfluous to a more sophisticated source for news and information

Sony and Intel sponsor a video classroom that tutors creators on production and equipment — a creative business model.

The first round has produced mixed results: stories tend to be dull and and journalistic values are uneven. But like most creative experiments, the results will improve and ultimately impact the journalistic landscape.

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