YouA, a new organization formed by several UA students aims to allow students to post broadcasted blogs from their own computers or on-location sites.
The organization is not affiliated with the University, said Kathleen Davis, the co-founder.
Davis, a sophomore majoring in advertising, said she and co-founder Sarah Chovnick, a sophomore majoring in broadcast media, came up with the idea of YouA as a way to give more students an opportunity to gain media experience and to have more diverse groups on campus represented in the media.
“We’re going to have a show for everybody,” Chovnick said.
The organization has a YouTube page where some blogs have already been broadcasted, but Davis said she has purchased a Web site, which is where all of the blogs will eventually be located.
YouA has approximately 25 members, who joined the group either by hearing about it through word of mouth or by seeing YouA’s Facebook page, Chovnick said. But the organization is always open to new members and ideas for blogs, she added.
The blogs, Davis said, will range from topics such as fashion, fitness and health, nightlife, politics, religion, sports and Tuscaloosa dining. Davis said she would work exclusively behind the scenes.
“We’re going to do UA news and some local Tuscaloosa news, if that’s impacting us,” Davis said. “Basically [we’ll talk about] anything that students would care about.”
Chovnick, on the other hand, said she will have a blog entitled “YouA Goes to Hollywood,” and it will be relatable to programs like E! News, she said.
Corey Ferraez, a junior majoring in management and entrepreneurship, and his twin, Jace Ferraez, a junior majoring in political science, are in charge of the dining blog, and they have posted one entry so far.
“We go to a lot of local restaurants, so we can tell people where the best places to eat are,” Cory Ferraez said. “And we’ll also talk about nutrition information.”
YouA currently has one editor, and the editing process for blogs is still being finalized, Chovnick said.
Davis said YouA differs from other campus media organizations in that it’s a new type of multimedia that’s not being utilized by the University.
“Most media in general [are] switching to the internet,” she said. “Look at Hulu, look at the online newspapers. Everybody is watching.”
Davis said advertising is what will fund the organization.
“The biggest demographic for YouTube are ages 18-24, and that’s exactly what we have right here, and it’s exactly what the advertisers want to advertise to,” Davis said.
