CNN starts iReport.com

CNN has unveiled a new website titled iReport.com. It is like Youtube.com, but it's a news version. CNN has received nearly 100,000 submissions, and airs around 10% of those on T.V. But, before they air these user generated videos, they do extensive research to validate them. This is a good way to get their viewers engaged and not just entertained (and maybe both).

This was a very smart move on CNNs part. With all the popularity of Youtube.com and Break.com, it just makes sense that a news channel would created a user generated website, letting the user take control. But, it isn't like Wikipedia...every post gets viewed by CNN to make sure the information is correct. They are letting the users decide what is newsworthy, and what is not.

But, this idea of letting the user decide what is newsworthy and what is not is a really risky idea also. This idea is coming from "the most trusted name in news." So, when something very controversial is posted and maybe doesn't have all of the right facts, CNN may take some harsh ratings if they aren't careful.

http://www.ireport.com/

Shooting Coverage

There has been so much coverage on the shootings at Northern Illinois University since February 14th, when it happened. Six people were killed. Five of them were students, and the shooter killed himself after the hideous act he put forward. There are a couple of things that I just don't get. I don't get how someone could create an act so destructive and get joy out of it. Second, I don't get why there is SOOO much coverage over it.

I think that because of the media coverage over the shootings, people with mental problems are thinking "hey, I'm depressed too, maybe I could get some attention just like he (the shooter) did." These students had so much going for them, and that's worth talking about, but with all the coverage over the shooter and how he had stopped taking his medicine, and was a 'normal person' is too much coverage. Talk about the students, not the shooter. Don't give praise to someone for shooting five students and call him NORMAL. That is anything but NORMAL. Last week when I was watching the news, there were two threats in two different high schools, in the same day. This was just following the NIU shootings.

I looked on the New York Times website, and there were 11 articles over this incident by the 15th, just the day after it had happened. Now, I'm not saying that it's not newsworthy- because I completely think it is, but, I'm maybe proposing that doesn't get as much coverage. I think it's worth trying, for the sake of students across the country.

NYT ventures online

As more and more people use the internet on a daily/hourly basis, NYT has decided to provide online subscriptions. This is not only a great idea on their part, but an even better idea was yet to come. They are offering 18 different versions of it online to appeal to the user. So, a 20 year old college student in Iowa would probably receive a different version than that of a 55 year old exec. in New York City.

The idea is probably even saving NYT money in the long run due to the paper, print, energy not being used. A yearly subscription for the online version runs at $169. A printed yearly subscription is a rediculous amount of $665.60. The obvious choice for me would be to buy the $169 subscription, but, I would actually try to find a different article on the same topic on a different website....FOR FREE!

I do have to admit that this is a very good move for the NYT and they are likely to get more subscribers than before at a lower cost to them. Now, they need to figure out how to lure users in to actually purchase a subscription online.

Ethical?

An article was recently published in the Somerville Journal covering the Naked Run at Tufts University. The article, 2 photos, and 1 video was published online soon after. This article received over 100 comments the first day. Many of the bloggers demanded the photos and the video to be removed as soon as possible.

I guess this is a tradition that happens every year. But, that's besides the point. Although it had never been reported on before, it was on public property and it should be eligible to be fairly reported on. This weird act, that happens late at night, was indeed a public act that hundreds of naked runners participate in.

I can see where there is unethical issues that pertain to this story, like video recording hundreds of people running naked. So, perhaps the photos and the video shouldn't have been published online, viewable to the whole world without permission. I know I wouldn't be too thrilled if I saw a picture of me participating in this event...But, this was a public event and it was newsworthy.