YouTube = Democracy?

In trying to revise my first beat story, I wanted to take a wider approach to the idea that people are better able to engage in self-promotion and marketing thanks to the widespread use of YouTube. My first attempt had been unsuccessful, but I was certain that there was a story worth telling if I could just get a handle on the angle. After contacting YouTube/Google directly, I was put in touch with other people who have successfully exploited the ubiquitous video-sharing technology.

An interesting point that perhaps I did not fully explore in my article was raised by a spokesman from Google. He said that the power of YouTube was vested in its democratic spirit. (Well, he didn't use those exact words, but that was the basic idea..) This made a lot of sense, because in reality, YouTube isn't really about meritocracy so much as it is about democracy. True, many very well deserving people gain recognition and fame through YouTube, but there are also many people of questionable talent who become famous (or infamous) as well.

I find YouTube to be a fascinating site, and admittedly, I spend more time there than I probably should. But, the research and reporting that I did for this article has actually inspired me for my next beat article, so stay tuned!