If you are like me you try to read as many articles, blogs and books as possible but just cannot catch all of them. “In Case You Missed It” is my way of pointing out a few “reads” that I think are too good to miss.

BuzzFeed, CNN and YouTube Plan Online-Video Channel – William Launder

BuzzFeed is accelerating its efforts to become a news destination for young adults, joining with CNN and YouTube to create a new, online-video channel.

On Tuesday, BuzzFeed will unveil “CNN BuzzFeed,” a YouTube channel based on content from CNN, including archival and current content, that is designed to be shared over social-media networks.

BuzzFeed plans to tackle serious news events, initially intending to create around three videos a week for the channel, said Jon Steinberg, BuzzFeed’s chief operating officer.

Mr. Steinberg said BuzzFeed plans to invest a low “eight-digit sum” over two years to launch and build the platform.

The announcement marks BuzzFeed’s latest effort to establish itself as a news source among 18-34 year olds, a demographic that advertisers are eager to reach through the Web. Earlier this month, BuzzFeed launched a business news site aimed at expanding its social-media reach to sites like LinkedIn.

BuzzFeed already has a considerable presence in digital video through a half-dozen dedicated YouTube channels, but the partnership with CNN is its most comprehensive so far with a traditional media company.

Read entire article here.

Crowdfunding platform for young entrepreneurs focuses on educating

Piggybackr aims to teach kids about how they can use crowdfunding to get their projects off the ground.

Bali’s Green School is an example of an educational institution putting an emphasis on nurturing the business skills of young people, but with numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups now being offered through online avenues, Piggybackr is a new platform that aims to teach kids about how they can use crowdfunding to get their projects off the ground.

Given that many of the major funding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo don’t allow campaigns run by minors, even young people who are aware of crowdfunding don’t have a chance to try it out for their own moneymaking ideas. Piggybackr is compliant with COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in the US, by ensuring that users under 14 years old have the approval of a parent or guardian before launching a campaign. Children can also only send out invites to members of their family, school or society, enabling them to use Piggybackr as a place to learn about and experiment with crowdfunding before they’re old enough to launch more serious enterprises. Before users begin their campaign on the site they are offered hints and tips to help make their projects more effective, such as suggested backer incentives and email templates. When a task is completed, the site awards effort points and badges, so even if the projects don’t reach their target, children can still feel a sense of accomplishment.

For children who have known mobile and web devices all of their lives, it makes sense to open up the most current and exciting business possibilities to those willing to explore and learn, so they’re well equipped for the future. Are there other online business models that kids could engage with?

Are You Young and Male? Discovery Says This TestTube’s for You

Discovery Communications has launched TestTube, a free, ad-supported video network targeted at young males, The Wall Street Journal reported.

TestTube is the product of Internet television studio Revision3, acquired by Discovery last year in an estimated $30-40 million deal. The network will launch with 10 million streams and is expected to grow to 20 million streams by the end of 2013.

TestTube will reportedly showcase original content aimed at a young, male audience, with 15 new series such as techno-philosophy talk show Shots of Awe; Blow it Up, hosted by MythBusters personality Tory Belleci; and Nature Hates You, a series of flip exposés of the sinister side of natural-world things like vines and dust.

“If you had to think about what Discovery would look like if you invented it today for the millennial generation, TestTube is that image,” J.B. Perrette, chief digital officer of Discovery Communications, told the Journal.

While the 25-54 set is the meat and potatoes of Discovery’s diet—the flagship channel saw its Q1 deliveries increase 10 percent to 846,000 members of the demo per night—it’s never a bad idea to try to make inroads with the younger crowd.

Revision3 CEO Jim Louderback said Discovery’s goal is to capture the 18-34 demo, even if “[it] turns out, down the road, that everything goes à la carte.”

(Louderback’s assertion is a bit of a reach; Discovery on Thursday told Adweek that TestTube is not being developed as a hedge against cord-cutting.)

In addition to TestTube, Discovery will distribute shows via YouTube, with plans to dole out original programming to Xbox, Apple TV, Roku, iOS and TiVo.

“This is another step in our mission to be the No. 1 nonfiction video and media company on all screens,” Perrette told Deadline.