We've been watching the growth of OhMyNews from the earliest days of WorldChanging. Reports from the original Korean-only version of the collaborative news site were influential in the 2003 Korean elections, and the English-language "International" version has become an interesting source of global perspectives, features and opinion. Now OhMyNews is opening up its "citizen reporter" system, making it possible for anyone to contribute stories.

After submitting your registration details with OhmyNews for confirmation by our staff, you will find your very own reporter's desk where you can keep track of readers' reactions in real time. This includes the number of people who've read your stories and their comments, and the amount of cybercash you earned.[...] OhmyNews International editors will read through your stories, fact-checking them and editing for style, making them more polished for your readers.

This last bit is what distinguishes OhMyNews from other collaborative news sites like Slashdot or Kuro5hin, which implicitly rely on their readers to do the fact-checking for them. Wikinews also relies on readers for fact-checking, but as a wiki, readers can make fixes directly.

(Via Smart Mobs)

Just fascinating! I really like the model here--anyone can contribute, but the articles will be fact-checked and polished. It suggests commitment to quality rather than treating the public like sources of cost-free content.

(Although it probably helps keep OMN from getting sued, too...)

Posted by: Emily Gertz on April 11, 2005 7:52 PM

Hi Jamais & Emily,

By way of background, I'm a champion of grassroots journalism -- started recently relaunched Malaysia.Net -- see http://www.malaysia.net and several others for it.

Emily, would like you to reconsider "instead of using public as source of free content" in view of my essays "Why Is Common Sense So Uncommon" and "Ecosystems Thinking for Mind Ecosystems" at http://www.ryze.com/go/bala

cheers../bala

Posted by: Bala Pillai on April 15, 2005 8:42 PM