The steam pipe explosion in New York several weeks ago once again displayed the power of citizen journalists. And after getting all information from non-traditional media sources we asked:

When will someone create a user-generated news site that offers greater rewards for those who capture video of these events?

Companies like NowPublic in the news today for raising new funding, Associated Content and NewAssignment.net are doing exactly that.

But are they viable without the involvement of existing news organizations? To be successful these companies need advertising dollars. And that requires an audience, which requires credibility which requires professional journalists people trust.

Regardless of how many individuals contribute, the news found on these citizen journalism sites is far below the standard of professional organizations. And the value add from professional producers and seasoned editors cannot be underestimated.

So to truly create the best of both worlds, news organizations should empower citizens by offering them equal value for what they report. Their editors and advertiser dollars mean they can support and improve the best citizen reporting, while offering better coverage to the public.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 30th, 2007 at 11:36 am and is filed under News, User Generated, video syndication. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.