The producers and editors at KnoxNews.com – the website for the Knoxville News Sentinel – decided to add an online-only section featuring “v-logs,” or video stories, about life in Knoxville.
RandomThis features short video stories that profile events or places around Knoxville, according to one of the web producers, Jigsha Desai.
“There are four producers and we all film random things and life in Knoxville,” Desai said. “Anything goes.”
The producers come up with their own ideas for what to film and then head out with a small digital camera to create the v-logs.
“It’s random videos with a cheap camera on the fly,” Desai said. “There are no fancy gimmicks. We’re showing life through our eyes.”
RandomThis posts video stories weekly. In addition to the videos by the web producers, RandomThis also accepts submissions from amateur v-loggers in the area.
“What we have on the site is community journalism done by citizen journalists,” Desai wrote in a follow-up e-mail. “If [the readers] find something important, we find it important too. And if they find it important to post videos of their children, pets or flowers, then we will do our best to give them the forum to do so.”
She also wrote: “In my personal opinion, the Hannah Belle’s Hootenannies is the best in terms of citizen journalism. It’s a glimpse into a newish part of American culture (the Red Hat Society), and shows in a simple way, activities pursued by the Red Hat ladies. Plus, the singing is great!”
Of her own videos, Desai’s favorite so far is a feature on the Time Warp Tea Room, a local tea house that offers drinks and food amid a display of antiques and motorcycle memorabilia. She said the video exposes a part of Knoxville that many residents may not know about.
Finding new and interesting aspects of Knoxville is a goal that Desai and the other web producers share. They want to show that news can be fun and exciting, not just dull and sad, she said.
The producers also hope to attract more submissions from viewers and broaden their video library.
“Anyone can do what we’re doing,” said Desai. “We’re just showing life through a camera lens.”
About Carly Goldsmith
