In 2006, Time Magazine elected the millions of bloggers and contributors of user-generated content on the internet as the Person of the Year, saying that we are the ones who control the communication and information worlds.
Today, there are over 70 million bloggers on the internet. Blogs, vlogs, and social networking sites have made it possible for anybody to spread their ideas and opinions with others in a simple, user-friendly way. You no longer have to be a professional to review movies, or gossip about celebrity couples, or report the news and have others read your material. I am particularly interested by the reporting the news part. Blogging has made it possible for people like you and me to be citizen journalists who can report and analyze the news.
Citizen journalism, also known as participatory journalism, is the contribution of the public in reporting and writing about the news. Websites such as CNN's iReport have galvanized this movement, proving the necessary tools and resources for people to become unofficial journalists. Members of iReport are able to publish stories that range from the news in their local town to breaking world news to their own personal experiences. Users can also upload images and videos to accompany their articles.
Supporting the concept of citizen journalism, the news found on iReport is completely unfiltered, unedited, and uncensored. Sure, this does mean that you have to use your discretion when determining the validity and truthfulness of anything you read, but it also makes for more interesting news. Users are able to comment on others' articles, so sometimes a heated, but entertaining debate will ensue. This just adds to the wealth of information provided by citizen journalism, because opinions from all sides of the political spectrum and from different perspectives arise.
As an added plus, some of the better and more interesting articles and videos on iReport are sometimes even snagged by CNN and featured on national television. With blogging, you sometimes do not get the visibility that you want, but if you manage to write a successful article for iReport and it is featured on CNN, you are suddenly on your way to becoming the next Anderson Cooper or Christiane Amanpour! OK, I might be exaggerating...but I can dream.
Visit http://www.ireport.com/ to start becoming a contributing member of the news community.
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