ONA 2005: BBC shares lessons of reader content

BBC News Interactive's deputy editor Paul Brannan recapped today how the London bombings on 7 July were the first time that the BBC really got hold of 'user-generated content' (UGC) and distributed material throughout the corporation.

Thousands of video clips, images and reports were submitted to the site after the bombings happened, and some critical information and eyewitness reports reached the BBC before even the authorities knew what was happening.

"In the past the treatment had been token, but suddenly this stuff was in front of a whole nation," he said.

He said that users retain copyright when they submit content to the BBC, although the corporation can use the material throughout the BBC and does not pay for submissions.

Problems with UGC

Newspapers had often been quick to 'steal' readers' images from the site and Mr Brannan said that remained a problem; images can't be watermarked if they are to be published on the site, and a BBC ident could easily be cropped out or digitally manipulated by software such as Adobe Photoshop.

"They are very aggressive - and just want that image," said Mr Brannan.

Newspapers do not seem to care about the threat of being sued for 'stealing' photos: "They just want the photo right now."

One viewer sent in a strong image and said that he was happy for the BBC to use it anywhere - but that it must not be used by any part of the Murdoch empire.

Another problem is verifying material. "Was that picture stolen from somewhere? Did the photographer cross a police line to get that picture? If you pay for an image, are you abetting that behaviour? Press photographers do have a code of ethics, but UGC does need to be checked and rechecked - are they who they say they are?"

The BBC now has a hub of four people that deal solely with verifying, soliciting and distributing UGC throughout the corporation.

New developments

A multi-platform authoring scheme cut out duplication of coverage so that content could be reused for a number of different platforms. It saved an estimated 30 per cent of costs in its first year and that money had been reinvested in the site, he said.

There was a collective groan as he listed the BBC's enviable resources, including an online staff of 400 journalists, technical staff and producers. The site has 3 to 3.3 million unique users and 10 to 15,000 reader emails each day plus a searchable archive of two million stories.

Mr Brannan also mentioned the experimental channel BBC Backstage, which invites developers to play with new formats and tools for BBC content. One recent development is an avatar character that reads the TV schedule.

Using broadband to distribute TV will fundamentally change the business of broadcasting, he said. But file sharing sites like UK Nova that illegally provide downloads of BBC programmes are "blowing a hole through all kinds of arrangements the BBC is trying to introduce".

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