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Fisher Communications (FSCI), a broadcast company based in Seattle, claims they are about to become the first company in the U.S. to empower citizen journalists to post their own videos on established news Internet sites.

The company is calling the service YouNews, and will operate very similar to YouTube, which allows users to upload videos online. Rob Dunlop, Fisher senior vice president of developing media, said "We're creating a hyper-local form of YouTube."

The idea was created by Broadcast Interactive Media, from Madison, Wisc., who as part of the agreement will screen content before it's allowed online - a major difference from YouTube. If it's not allowed, video creators will be sent an e-mail explaining why it isn't.

Those videos deemed newsworthy but potentially controversial will be sent to Fisher's own staff to decide whether to put it online or not.

The service has categories set for uploaders to target, like pets, weather, high school sports and local news.

The YouNews launch will start in Seattle and go out from there to Idaho, Oregon and Eastern Washington.