Vancouver’s two daily metropolitan newspapers have embraced BubbleTweet.

The Vancouver Sun and The Province, both owned by Canwest, are embedding the bubble-shaped pop-ups on their Twitter pages to tell readers about the stories they’re chasing for web publication and the next day’s edition.

Online news editor Erik Rolfsen speaks for The Province (visit the paper’s Twitter here), and managing editor Kirk LaPointe telecasts for the Sun (the paper’s Twitter here).

Designed by San Francisco developer, Kevin Sherman, BubbleTweet allows users to upload a video that will appears as a pop-up on their Twitter page. Followers are sent a unique URL that will only be seen by those who click the link.

Update:

So far the Sun appears to have used the Twitter video feature once and LaPointe said via email that the paper will continue to do so twice a day:

…Once in the morning to talk about what we’re developing for the Web and once in the afternoon to talk about the next day’s paper.

It keeps [readers] appraised of developing news online today and what we’re going to deliver as columns and in-depth content the next day in the paper.

One morning installment from the Sun was ranked 19th among top-viewed videos on BubbleTweet with just over 100 views. The Province placed 18th for the same 24-hour period. The tallies will continue to rise and ranks change, but the most-viewed video has logged more than 1,300 views, likely for its salacious language and content.

It’s a great gimmick and a nod to transparency, but the question remains: does The Province and Sun’s current use of BubbleTweet deliver added-value to news consumers?

Update:

Rolfsen said, also via email, that BubbleTweet is a way to set the Province apart and channel the particular playful flare of the publication:

We just saw it as a fun way to let our Twitter followers know what we’re working on… we think Bubbletweet is a little more lively and reflects our tabloid spirit.

As long as someone in the newsroom can turn it on for the camera, the Province will post a pop-up every weekday after the morning’s news meeting to tell followers what they can expect as the top stories.