Bringing more news to more people....from more people

Another news site was created to bring news to the world, only it could be from anyone around the world. The site iConflict.com was created about 10 days ago as a way for the average citizen to post stories as they please. The goal of the site is to bring more stories to people's attention, often first-hand accounts, about issues that would or would not normally be noticed, according to co-founder Jason Haber (information based on story in The Daily Orange).

I have always been leery about user-generated material, especially if it is news related. Wikipedia sometimes scares me, but it is good for a quick bit of information you might be looking for on something fairly common. But I've always held the view to leave the news reporting to the actual reporters. You never know who is reporting the story, and if they are telling the truth, because they might not follow the same ethical standards journalists must. So far, however, I'm impressed by the reporting on the site. Most of the posts to this point have been by Jason himself, but now some new users are submitting entries. The manner is very professional and functions like a site solely for news. It is easy to navigate as well, with the newest stories on the opening page and a list of hot spots right to its side. And if you want to see it visually, the hot spot map highlights countries that have been in the most stories recently.

One aspect Haber notes that I think is wonderful is to get stories heard that might not make the news otherwise. As gatekeepers, we sometimes don't let some stories through for whatever reason. This is a great way to get all stories heard. It will also be interesting to see how the site progresses. As it grows, will the integrity of the reporting change? Also, almost all of the videos on the site now are links to YouTube. For this site to really take off as a news provider, I believe that videos from reporters will be necessary. As great as it is, YouTube can't be used for everything. This is a great way to bring worldwide news to everyone, from people who were closer to the story than most, but how effective will it really be?
http://www.iconflict.com/