OSM - Open Source Media will be an experiment in this epoch of new media that will mark the coming of age for Citizen Journalism. Regular well entrenched mainstream media is taking wary note of how grassroots organisations, irregular communities as well as individuals are succeeding in pulling the rugs from under them slowly but surely forcing them to work overtime to find ways to engage, interact, adopt and eventual profit from this trend and demographic profile. Most online editions of newspapers have inbuilt commenting system to allow readers to interact. Nevertheless, the collection, editing and reporting of news is still their exclusive domain. Do we see a link like 'Report a News' or 'Submit a Hint/Article' on their websites? Nope. (The Hindu has a weekly column for publishing readers-submitted articles in its print edition, but that is just a sorry sort of compromise)
Systems such as slashdot, Scoop (Kuro5hin for e.g) and many other platforms allow readers to post news/articles/co-ed pieces to the site. Slashdot editors decide on what makes it to the front and section pages and which news don't. The system further has Karma, moderating and meta-moderating features to ensure that the best comments, posts rise to the top and encourage better writing and contribution.
Kuro5hin readers for example, vote on whether the news/articles/co-ed posted by anyone are good enough to be posted to the site or not. Once posted, all others can discuss the posted material as well as vote on the comments too. Thus, democractic selection of articles ensures quality similar to peer review system of the scientific world.
This new collaborative system of media has the advantage of ability to enlist thousands of citizen journalists and bloggers to hunt for news and dissimate them. The on-site, minute to minute reporting by ordinary citizens witnessing events live and reporting them instantly on dedicated Tsunami blogs are one evidence of how efficient this system can be.
We are at the threshold of a radical shift in the dynamics of news & information flow. Earlier, it was a unidirectional - A one way affair with information and opinions from Media reaching passive readers with very little leeway (letters to editors). Today, the net ensures that the monopoly of news is leveled and equal participation of everybody, both in news generation and reporting as well as consumption is brought about.
Yahoo on OSM Launch:
NEW YORK - A media Web site scheduled to debut Wednesday will seek to blend traditional journalism with the freeform commentary developed through the emerging Web format known as blogs.
Some 70 Web journalists, including Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds and David Corn, Washington editor of the Nation magazine, have agreed to participate in OSM — short for Open Source Media.
