YouTube kicked off "YouTube Direct," a free tool that lets news orgs use videos submitted to YouTube on their Web sites, reports AP. The selected clips would run on both platforms. Editors can tweak
YouTube Direct to fit their specific needs. As newsrooms lay off staff, freelance contributions have increased. YouTube has tested its news-gathering tool with NPR, the
San Francisco Chronicle,
NBC's television affiliate in Boston, Politico.com and
The Huffington Post.
