It goes without saying that a massive story like the California fires generates plenty of user content. CNN I-Report and MSNBC First Person are seeing the most submissions (at least with my unofficial count), and ABCNews.com’s i-Caught and FoxNews.com uReport are asking for user photos and video, too. And not just TV — NYTimes.com is asking for user video, powered by Brightcove. Of course, local media sites in LA are taking in a ton of photos (mostly) from the public. Check out LATimes.com’s user photos here. Maybe it’s just me, but watching a raw video clip of approaching flames shot by a homeowner from the perspective of their own balcony is even more compelling than an edited TV news report, especially online.
Many user photos are just as amazing as the professional shots.