What started as a simple "contribute" form on the CNN website five years ago will evolve into a “social network for news" this fall.
CNN aims to build on the success of its citizen media effort, iReport, by launching a more collaborative platform, Lila King, participation director at CNN digital, who leads iReport told Beet TV, “It’s a network that, instead of one that’s built around your friends, it’s built around sources and topics.”
The network will also introduce a new Android app geared toward iReporters. It will offer a “personalized experience of the news, really digging into what people care about, where they are and what opportunities there might be to contribute,” King said.
Earlier this year, CNN launched the first awards program for its unpaid reporters and recently announced that two of its citizen journalists had gone on to a news job and won a scholarship.To celebrate five years of iReport, the effort is in the midst of month of birthday parties worldwide.
With 2.6 million monthly views, iReport has earned a “seat at the table,” King said. “Every time CNN goes after a big story, one really important consideration is how does the audience participate, how are they part of the story?”
Via Beet TV
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