In FBtG's first ever post we talked about Ohmy News International (OMNI) an English language version of the Korean citizen journalism website of the same name. Today I want to talk about YouCommNews, another example of citizen journalism that is operating a little closer to home.
YouCommNews is an initiative launched earlier this year by The Public Interest Journalism Foundation (PIJF), a part of the Institute of Social Research at The Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne which aims to:
'develop new approaches to journalism that “maximize and explore the applications of emerging media technologies”. This comes in the wake of major technological, economic and demographic changes which are affecting the viability of established media organizations'.
YouComm is modelled almost identically off of a US citizen journalist site called Spot.Us. The concept works around the idea of public contributions being made not only for content but funding also. Ideas for stories are pitched by users on the site and then those ideas are funded (or not) by others interested in seeing the story published. The concept is unique because once stories are finished they aren't published on YouComm itself but are pitched to other media outlets, be it mainstream, independent or online.
YouComm has only been running for a few months and the official launch apparently took place yesterday at the NewNews conference run by the PIJF at the Melbourne Writer's Festival. However evidence already exists that the model can work. Another site, Kickstarter.com is a perfect example of ideas being funded not by large institutions with their own interests but by members of the general public. Kickstarter is not just (or primarily) a journalism site either; it funds art, dance, photography, film, theatre and much more.
- The Chair of the PIJF Margaret Simons writes a somtimes active blog over on Crikey called 'The Content Makers, you can check it here.
- YouComm itself is not independently funded. Part of its funding comes from The Financial and Energy Exchange Group (FEX) and The Victorian Government Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development.
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