E-Media Tidbits

YouTube.com Engineer Michael De Kort blew the whistle on Lockeed Martin and the U.S. Coast Guard, via YouTube.

YouTube and similar video-sharing sites appear to be the latest place to look for whistleblower stories.

On Aug. 3, former Lockheed Martin engineer Michael De Kort posted a video to YouTube in which he read a statement claiming that the defense contractor built -- and the U.S. Coast Guard accepted for its Deepwater program -- several boats that had not been properly refitted and thus fell seriously short of government standards. He also explains his futile efforts to raise these concerns through the chain of command, which led to his decision to turn to YouTube for direct access to the public.

I find this approach intriguing, since video is a particularly compelling medium for dramatic stories -- and whistleblowing always involves drama. Even though De Kort's video is rough and basic (just a talking head in bad lighting reading from a prepared statement), you can see the tension in his face, and hear it in his voice.

Of course, only careful investigation will determine if De Kort's accusations have merit. So far there is no mention of De Kort on the Lockheed Martin site, although they have offered brief comments in response to press inquiries.

De Kort has achieved a crucial goal: He's definitely drawn the light of public scrutiny to an issue he cares about intensely -- and to the agencies and companies involved. Today, De Kort is getting ample mainstream media coverage, despite his claims of extensive attempts to interest media organizations earlier. The blogosphere is definitely abuzz with this story, too.

However, ABCnews.com flubbed its coverage of this story, I think. Their Aug. 29 story omitted any direct link to De Kort's YouTube video -- or to other relevant external sources. Instead, they only linked to their own scant superficial broadcast piece. Even worse, they force you to watch a commercial first. They also force you to click through four pages to read the full story.

Yuck. Someone over at ABCnews.com clearly doesn't grasp what online audiences expect. As I said yesterday, external links are a reader service. (Actually, a comment left to that posting by my colleague fellow Tidbits contributor Adam Glenn, a former ABCnews.com producer, sheds some light onto their thinking on external links.)

Such gaffes are part of what's driving audiences increasingly away from mainstream media and toward participatory media such as YouTube.

You'll find better coverage from Harry Fuller at CNet.