The Birth of the Open Newsroom
Three years ago, I began writing a science fiction novel; a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. During this particular period, my son was born, and at the same time, I became a partner in a start-up company, which meant my nights were sleepless, in any case. In this novel, (which had been put on hold), I imagined a reality in which the average citizen could be part of an innovative news network called iamnews; a network whose reporters are citizens from all over the world, who participate in the creation of news. They would be directly connected to iamnews editors who allocate news assignments.
While describing the adventures of these reporters and their sophisticated means of transmitting their information, I soon began to realize that this was not the world of science fiction, but something which could be done with today's technology.
The Web is the Newsroom
I believe that the Internet of today is already a global newsroom, and we all take part in it. Video sharing, photos, blogs, and social network platforms are our tools for creating news. The most current example of this were the recent reports of the earthquake in China; reports that were communicated by means of a platform such as "Twitter". These reports preceded formal TV news reporting by the traditional mass media.
However, there is problem with this global newsroom. The content and sharing tools which are available today, (such as we could only dream of three or four years ago)are not sufficiently adequate. The main reason for this is the excess of information. There is so much incoming information that the news networks are unable to screen the material, or select the preferred topics. There is also no current solution for quickly investigating the reliability of this material, or the reputation of its sources. There is simply no way in which to gather the information from so many sources, or effect the collaboration of these sources for the purpose of creating reliable news. Even if this were possible, there would still be no way to compensate the participants for their contributions.
My goal is the creation of a news platform which will solve all of these problems.
Why is an Alternative Necessary?
The Media as we know it today is complex and de-centralized. Along with the media magnates and those who monopolize the various sectors of the media, there are groups and individuals who influence the way consumers experience the media. Until a few years ago, we were staunch consumers of the main news channels, but today, there are so many news sources and each targets a specific, individual need. Until recently, we were media consumers. Now we are participating in its creation.
The alternative, called iamnews changes things. It blurs the line between the media provider and the media consumer. With iamnews, the cooperation between the networked journalists is a powerful resource. We individuals are, in fact, the main source of information, and the implementation of our knowledge and findings can create a global newsroom, just as I had imagined.
Everyone is Invited
Though iamnews is not a competitor with any media group, but media groups, whether great or small, are invited to "listen" to iamnews. We invite you to connect directly to our “radar” which will allow you to understand what is breaking News, and be an active participant in the newly created network.
- Nir Ofir, iamnews founder.