TEXT OF STORY

Bill Radke: Gathering the news is expensive and newsroom budgets are shrinking. No, this is not a pledge drive -- this is a story about news organizations teaming up with reporters who don't charge anything. That would be you -- as in YouTube. Marketplace's Jennifer Collins explains.

Jennifer Collins: Twenty hours of video are posted on Youtube every minute. But much of it is content like babies who can say:

Baby: Obama.

Cats who talk . . .

Cat: Hello.

And, this kid:

Kid: Charlie bit me.

Now, the video site is looking to get a little serious with YouTube Direct.

YouTube: A new platform that allows news organizations to solicit and verify news footage on YouTube by connecting you directly with video makers who want to participate in your newsgathering process.

Basically, amature journalists would post content on YouTube, and news outlets would get to pick stories they want to include on their sites.

The platform has been tested by the San Francisco Chronicle, Poltico, NPR and the Huffington Post. YouTube also says businesses and politicians would be free to gather promotional videos and use the platform.

I'm Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.