YouTube has a reputation for being a “time killer” website, full of silly fart, animal, and farting animal videos. But while YouTube certainly includes that content, it’s wrong to assume that it ONLY includes that content.

Over the past year or so, YouTube has been developing into a powerful platform for enlightened conversation. One of the fastest growing sections on the site is the News and Politics section that features video from several reputable news organizations.

People who are interested in the news (formerly known as television viewers) are increasing turning to YouTube to get informed. On YouTube, they’re able to respond to news reports with personal experiences, thoughts and opinions.

Mashable.com recently posted a great piece on YouTube that is a “must read for journalists. It explains how news organizations can use the site for distribution, how journalists can use the site to help craft stories and tips for citizens who want to get in on the journalism game.

The Journalist’s Guide to YouTube
When you think of YouTube (YouTube), you probably think of viral videos such as choreographed wedding procession dances and sneezing pandas. But YouTube’s content load is massive — 20 hours of video are uploaded every minute — and it has a lot more to offer than just silly, viral videos. One area of YouTube that is currently growing like a weed is news.

Mashable.com has a superb guide to all-things Twitter. For those of you who are just getting your feet wet, and those of you who are Twitter veterans (Tweterans?) this guide has great information.

From Mashable.com:

“Twitter is a social network used by millions of people, and thousands more are signing up every day to send short messages to groups of friends. But where’s the user manual for Twitter? Where do new Twitter users go to learn about Tweeting, retweets, hashtags and customizing your Twitter profile? Where do you go if you want to know all about building a community on Twitter, or using Twitter for business? How can you find advanced tools for using Twitter on your phone or your desktop? To answer all these questions and more, we’ve assembled The Twitter Guide Book, a complete collection of resources for mastering Twitter. Happy Tweeting!”

Check it out!