2008 Woodie Awards
The Current wave in internet media
Elbert Esguerra
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Features
From a hilarious video spoof of Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton singing the love song at the end of the film "Juno," to dating advice from circus clowns, to Starbucks and its overhaul in the world of coffee, and to a wide variety of widgets linking other topics-there is a site for the news of the world that is important to our generation, and it is just a mouse click away.
Born from the vision between former U.S. presidential candidate Al Gore and his business partner and CEO Joel Hyatt in 2005, Current offers just about anything that is happening right now in the world of news, arts, science, and more. According to a 2005 statement by Gore, "The Internet is a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV has not followed suit."
Current was built specifically for the Internet generation. It allows young people the opportunity to produce "pods," or user-generated videos, the segments of which are usually a few minutes long, and allows users to express their viewpoints. Viewers are also given the opportunity to create ad marketing called Viewer Created Ad Messages (VCAM), where Current sponsors like Toyota, XM Radio, and T-Mobile want users to make their ads.
The site also allows interaction with Current TV, which streams news in real-time and gives guests the opportunity to watch whatever interests them. Producers of Viewer-Created Content, or VC2, are often linked to pods and reactions to the topics on hand.
Current is also a social network for VC2 producers to share different viewpoints about issues that matter to them and the world. Guests can also participate in discussions simply by creating an account and fire up a webcam for instant commentary on topics that matter to them. Unlike the common berating that occurs on sites like YouTube, the majority of the community on VC2 maintains a more accepting atmosphere.
Current users can keep track of their favorite topics in their accounts. The design of the site is fluid and manageable allowing guests to easily search for whatever topics they wish to view. Widgets are abound, and navigating around is smooth and eye-popping.
Audiences of most user-generated content still regard TV as a highly valuable source for information and entertainment. The reflection of news on the Internet is prevalent within Current. Even in this day and age where sites like YouTube, Yahoo! Video, and Google Video dominate the Internet, almost all the same videos can be found on Current.com.
In 2007, Gore and Hyatt won an Emmy Award for the interactive news network because of its ability to change the way viewers access their news and by offering them an innovative way to watch it.
"We set out to open up television and to share the television platform with the young adult audience," said Hyatt. "The viewer response has been phenomenal."
Born from the vision between former U.S. presidential candidate Al Gore and his business partner and CEO Joel Hyatt in 2005, Current offers just about anything that is happening right now in the world of news, arts, science, and more. According to a 2005 statement by Gore, "The Internet is a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV has not followed suit."
Current was built specifically for the Internet generation. It allows young people the opportunity to produce "pods," or user-generated videos, the segments of which are usually a few minutes long, and allows users to express their viewpoints. Viewers are also given the opportunity to create ad marketing called Viewer Created Ad Messages (VCAM), where Current sponsors like Toyota, XM Radio, and T-Mobile want users to make their ads.
The site also allows interaction with Current TV, which streams news in real-time and gives guests the opportunity to watch whatever interests them. Producers of Viewer-Created Content, or VC2, are often linked to pods and reactions to the topics on hand.
Current is also a social network for VC2 producers to share different viewpoints about issues that matter to them and the world. Guests can also participate in discussions simply by creating an account and fire up a webcam for instant commentary on topics that matter to them. Unlike the common berating that occurs on sites like YouTube, the majority of the community on VC2 maintains a more accepting atmosphere.
Current users can keep track of their favorite topics in their accounts. The design of the site is fluid and manageable allowing guests to easily search for whatever topics they wish to view. Widgets are abound, and navigating around is smooth and eye-popping.
Audiences of most user-generated content still regard TV as a highly valuable source for information and entertainment. The reflection of news on the Internet is prevalent within Current. Even in this day and age where sites like YouTube, Yahoo! Video, and Google Video dominate the Internet, almost all the same videos can be found on Current.com.
In 2007, Gore and Hyatt won an Emmy Award for the interactive news network because of its ability to change the way viewers access their news and by offering them an innovative way to watch it.
"We set out to open up television and to share the television platform with the young adult audience," said Hyatt. "The viewer response has been phenomenal."
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