The university announced a new video service called Georgetown Everywhere that provides media coverage of Georgetown events, but while the service looks to enrich the university’s image, it has drawn criticism from GUTV, a student-run service that provides similar multimedia services to the Hilltop.

The project, announced Feb. 28, is completely run by the administration and now available in both website and smartphone iterations. According to Vice President for Public Affairs Erik Smulson, Georgetown Everywhere was created to enhance Georgetown’s public image.

“We began developing Georgetown Everywhere about a year ago in an effort to centralize the terrific video content that was being created across campus by different departments and schools and engage the Georgetown community and others in new and exciting ways,” Smulson wrote in an email. “We wanted to create a platform that would make this content available across a wide array of mobile devices, tablets, websites and on TV to highlight the exceptional faculty and students and in general, all the extraordinary things happening at Georgetown everyday.”

The creation of Georgetown Everywhere came as a surprise to students in GUTV, a student-run news show. General Manager of GUTV Joseph Laposata (COL ’16) said that he was worried that the new platform would compete with the student publication.

“We’re a little dismayed because it’s very much what we’re doing, and in some aspects it could be seen as shoving us out,” Laposata said. “We’re not entirely at that point yet, but we’re talking with the administration about it because we’re a little worried it could go there.”

GUTV News Co-Director Elizabeth Teitz (COL ’16) does not see Georgetown Everywhere as direct competition, since the voice of each publication is very different.

“There’s definitely a little bit of competition in that we do have similar missions, but it’s really more complementary just in that they’re very different. … It’s really great in providing the administration perspective, but we do still have a really strong student voice,” Teitz said.

Despite this, Laposata sees that the fact that Georgetown Everywhere pays its student employees, while GUTV cannot, is unjust.

“It is unfair,” Laposata said. “It would be great if I could pay my reporters. I’d have more of an incentive for people to do underreported stories, but it’s unfair in the sense that they’re doing a very similar job to what we’re doing, but because we’re doing it for fun and they’re doing it for the university, they get paid.”

Both Teitz and Laposata said that although they wish they had been informed about the new platform, they are eager to find ways to collaborate.

“We think that this is a prospect for collaboration,” Laposata said. “We have some things that we can offer. … First of all, we have manpower, and second of all, we have a student’s perspective. Georgetown Everywhere is great. It’s got a mobile app and students can access it very easily, but it only covers things that the university covers.”

Georgetown Everywhere will include event coverage, features on life at Georgetown and stories about university athletics. In addition, the platform includes a student-produced program entitled Georgetown Buzz. In this program, students report on news of their choice in small snippets to create a short news show. Currently, two students are working on creating Georgetown Buzz and both receive compensation from the university for their work.

Molly Mitchell (COL ’14), Georgetown Everywhere’s student reporter, said that the job has helped her learn about broadcast journalism.

“I’ve learned a lot about the process of making a video in general, video production and how to put things together and how to write a script better. … I think it’s the best way to interact with people. There’s something about watching a video about an event that’s just extremely impactful. It’s something I’ve always been extremely passionate about,” she said.

According to Smulson, the platform will expand in the future to include outside content.

“We’re especially excited to be featuring student content through the new Georgetown Buzz show,” Smulson wrote. “As we move forward, we’ll be developing ways for alumni and other members of the Georgetown community to submit content to be included in Georgetown Everywhere.”