Online video becoming increasingly important for newspapers

The Washington Post has launched video podcasting for use with the recently released video i-Pods. Users will have access to news and documentary video from Washingtonpost.com and can subscribe to a "News and Documentary Video" RSS feed.

The BBC has built on its RSS service for text content and the BBC News Player by offering feeds to audio and video reports, including breaking news pictures, interviews, and analysis. The service will also enable website owners to integrate BBC News video and audio into their own sites via RSS.

The Associated Press will be joining forces with Microsoft to launch an online video service to be used by its members. The network, originally announced in July (press release), did not originally involve MSN. When the service is launched in the first quarter of 2006, AP members will be able to webcast AP video through a branded MSN Video player.

AP will provide 50 clips a day covering technology to international news. The service plans to grow as members contribute their own video with which they can sell their own advertising.

The push into online video by agencies is already exhibited by Reuters which posts numerous daily video on its website and even distributes video feeds on mobile devices.

News agencies using video also demonstrates the trend towards their increasing influence over newspapers. Although the Washington Post is including video podcasts on its website, most newspapers do not have the resources to actually produce such material.

But with rising consumer demand for online video and other digital innovations, newspapers will have to include multimedia on their websites in order to furnish their readers with the whole online news experience. Since they don't have the capacity to produce their own video content, partnerships are likely.

In this sense, in creating a service for their members where all can contribute and distribute online video, the AP has the right idea.   

Sources: Cyberjournalist (Washington Post), Digital Media Europe (BBC), Paid Content (AP)