We recently chatted with a friend that admitted he’d love to help by selling newsworthy shots on Bideo, but he “just didn’t have any pictures.”  That we found ourselves preaching the Bideo mantra to one of our own led us to the realization that perhaps we should clarify a bit.

It’s not what you already have, it’s what you could have.  News is constantly happening, and one day you will find yourself witness to what we here at Bideo like to refer to as “The Bideo Moment.”  Whether you spot Britney, Paris, or Lindsay hopping out of a chauffeured car sans panties; see a plane touching down with a miracle landing on the Mississippi; or you find yourself on the front lines of flight attendant vs. flight; we are arming you with the mindset that remaining neutral is not an option.  No longer should you passively sit there and stare, later thinking to yourself, “Gosh, why didn’t I get a picture of that?” Everyone has had that feeling before, so we want to abolish the shoulda-coulda-woulda, and replace it with the see-shoot-makealotoffrigginmoney.

Bideo gives you the platform to profit from simply being in the right place at the right time… and it’s not a matter of what-if, it’s just a matter of when. So be ready and don’t let the Bideo Moment pass you by.

Today, it seems that every major news outlet has a citizen journalist website.  CNN has iReport, FoxNews has uReport, ABC has iCaught, MSN has FirstPerson; the list goes on and on; Big Media allowing the everyday citizen to participate.  Seems like a friendly enough notion, right? Wrong.  These websites solicit user generated content and operate under the guise that they are providing the layman with an opportunity to “get involved.”  However, in reality it is an opportunity for these news outlets to take advantage of the everyday citizen journalist.  When you upload your newsworthy material, you are forfeiting your right to compensation.  Sure, you might be an iReport SuperStar of the day.  Congratulations, but you can’t buy a Benz with vanity currency.  It is no longer your exclusive, it is theirs.  Who’s going to profit off of this?  Not you, my friend.  But, hey, you can post it to your Facebook.  Your friends are going to be so jealous.  Citizens are being used by Big Media; they are being taken for a ride. Not only are they creating what is essentially a staff of pro-bono reporters, but they are creating a database of free material for stories, broadcasts, etc.;  while also making money from ad revenue generated by the websites.

iReport? iCaught?  More like iRipoff, or iRacket.  iHustle, iSwindle, iBamboozle; and for all my dramaqueens out there, iRape (Okay… maybe that’s a bit strong).  Anyway, the moral of the story is this:  If you get your hands on a sweet media morsel and find yourself the possessor of an exclusive video or photo, don’t give it away for free.  Auction it on Bideo and get paid.  iRest my case.

Media’s had some work done. We aren’t talking a little botox here and there, but a full on face lift.  Media today is looking a lot less like Barbara Walters and more like Megan Fox.  She’s younger, she’s faster, and she’s a lot more flexible.  Via blogs, Twitter, and even Facebook’s news feed, the everyday person’s involvement in the creation of news is growing.  With today’s technology, nearly every citizen has the opportunity not just to contribute, but to profit as well.  More and more often news outlets are using both photographs and videos taken by your average, everyday citizen.  Eyewitness reports are passe, eyewitness documentation has taken over.  The media is elite no more.  You don’t need a photojournalism degree to have an advantage, just the wherewithal to recognize your potential.

Just yesterday, a passenger on a Qantas jet captured footage of the plane’s engine catching fire on his cell phone camera.  That footage has been shown on numerous news broadcasts around the world.  News reporters and camera crews are not omnipresent, but you are.  Every second of every minute around the world, news is constantly being made.  At any moment, you could be there to capture it. When you do, Bideo will provide you with the tools necessary to maximize your profits and receive true market value.

We are the cell phone generation.  Don’t believe me, look at the people around you.  In restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, on the street, on the subway, in the car sitting next to you at the red light; cell phones aren’t merely sitting in a purse or in a pocket waiting to accept an incoming call.  With their internet browsing capabilities, cell phones have taken our ADD to the next level.  Don’t have anything to do? Take out your cell phone, google.  Doing something?  Might as well grab your phone anyway and check your email, multi-tasking is so in right now.  Beyond the inbox and easy entertainment (Angry Birds, anyone?), what does this mean?  A lot actually.  The accessibility of documentation today is astounding.  Nearly all cell phones have camera or video capability.  In a matter of moments (and a flip of a phone), an individual can make the transition from eyewitness to news correspondent.  Mankind is now an army of citizen journalists, poised to invade the news journalism world; problem is only few recognize their potential.  Everyone should take a cue from Janis Krums, who posted one of the first photos of the Hudson River Landing on the internet via his Twitter.  Another fine example of citizen journalism is the Battle at Kruger.  Though it was captured not on a camera phone, but on a digital camera, it is still easily one of the most incredible documentations of the animal kingdom in history; a once in a lifetime encounter.  Was it captured by a professional videographer?  A National Geographic reporter?  No, just a tourist on a safari.  That amateur video has become one of the most popular videos on YouTube with nearly 55 million views, and has made that tourist a very wealthy man.  Pop Quiz: A well-known actor and comedian is heckled during his stand-up routine and he has a category 5 meltdown. You immediately:

A.  Play possum & stay under the radar to avoid the wrath of comedian scorned.

B. Elbow your boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/brother/best friend forever and mouth, “What the…”

C. Grab your camera phone and start rolling.

If you didn’t answer C, you are in the wrong place.

One audience member knew our cardinal rule (Thou shalt film any and all public meltdowns), and caught Kramer lose his kool.  On the camera phone video, comedian Michael Richards of Seinfeld fame launches into a racial slur filled tirade, which was broadcast everywhere from gossip blogs to CNN.

The moral of the story (as well as Bideo’s call to arms):  If you find yourself witnessing crashes, splashes, brawls, or salacious celebrity slip-ups; grab your BlackBerry, Droid, iPhone, etc. etc. etc., and start recording.  Then post it to Bideo, sell it to a major publication, and buy a yacht.