Use video when it works.

One of our students, [Nigel Barlow](http://thoughtsofnigel.blogspot.com/2007/07/some-really-good-tips-from-andy.html), linked in to my tips on shooting video and linked it with [Pete Clifton’s comments about video on the BBC site. (reported on journalism.co.uk) ](http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story3407.shtml)

Interestingly whilst Andy is extooling the virtues of online video,the BBC strangely wants it journalists to cut back on the medium.

Sorry to disappoint Nigel but no disagreement from me. I think Pete makes a great point. But I don’t think he is saying video is ‘bad’. Just that it needs to be used in a different way.

On my video course for newspaper journos we spend a while talking about why we are doing video. From a business point of view there are many commercial reasons why but when it comes to editorial I like to switch the emphasis to when: when is the right time to use video.

I have always made a point of saying that I hate the way that most web site video is channeled away, hidden in a player in some other part of the site with no relationship to the rest of the content on the site. And there I find myself in good company:

“We should think more about what that page does in the round and come up with a piece of video that absolutely complements the text… we should do less video but be much more focused on how it works and give it a higher profile where it can work alongside the story.”

Amen.