UG, See?

Monday's Guardian contained this article about the increasing importance of user-generated content (UGC) for aid agencies. It talks about the rise of photos, videos and blogs which have been created by the public, rather than trained journalists, for raising donor awareness and public support.

John Naughton (one time chairman of One World Trust) is quoted as saying:

There's a kind of corrupt symbiotic relationship between aid agencies and journalists and the narrative is shaped by that relationship," he says. "The interesting thing is that UGC is now blowing apart that cosy narrative.

Lessons and ideas for development agencies too, no doubt.