The intersection of online journalism and the democratization of the Internet is now daily evidenced in the rapid development of what is called: Social Media.

Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, MySpace and many more offer millions of earth citizens connective links as never before witnessed in the age of humans.

Communities – virtual and online – are popping up offering group publishing opportunities as well as individual working platforms – at a mind boggling pace.

Here’s a sampling of what I came across today.

NewAssignment.Net

Here you have a research project  from the New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.  Directed by the blog (Press Think) author, professor Jay Rosen.  As you might expect this project’s mission is to spark innovation in ‘open platform journalism’.  Rosen launched this project, like many bloggers , in a blog post, back in 2006.  He has attracted funding to keep it going.  It’s Rosen’s belief that the hybredization of professional and amateur contributors to the journalism efforts of society will become the strongest form the ‘open platform’ will present.  I do tend to agree.  But I am biased since I have been a strong supporter of the citizen journalism movement.  This will be a fun site to watch.

Spot.us

Now into a similar but different venue.  One may well say this is the ‘rubber meeting the road’ version of the previous piece.  Spot.us is all about putting together news pieces with meat.  Well researched. Verified. And worth knowing.  It’s their method of paying for this news gathering, collating and distributing that sets them apart.  They offer you – and me – the opportunity to sponsor the news.

Spot.us is a non-profit project of the Center for Media Change and is funded by a variety of groups; Knight Foundation being one.  They are ‘open source’ in their approach to ‘community funded reporting’.  Basically they offer you a tax deductible entry into paying for news reporting. Sort of like the NPR approach, but with a more personal involvement.  Spot.us is very intent on covering  the local area of the specific ‘spot group’. Not all areas of the US have ‘spots’, but they are working for a wider coverage.

Women’s Outdoor News

This is an example of the personal journalism that is taking off like gangbusters.  Look out world.  Journalism will never be the same.

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