Citizen Journalism

The New York Times has a piece on how San Francisco-based Fwix, a self-described local newswire, is releasing an iPhone app this week in the hopes of driving more user contributions.

The year-old Fwix, which the Times says operates in 85 markets, creates its wire out of links to stories on local news sites and blogs and updates from regular folks. It's more relevant that something like Twitter, for example, because it adds a layer of filtering: algorithms rank submissions based on whether other users submit similar items and on whether the submitter was at the scene (which it can figure out using the GPS module in the submitter's iPhone).

The Times says Fwix "hopes to fill the growing void in professionally reported local news by recruiting citizens armed with iPhones as reporters."

Here's our take: Fwix is a great tool. Anything that expedites the process of enabling the folks out there to funnel in news and information is a worthy endeavor.

But on its own, Fwix.com is not likely to become a great news desitination. It's one thing to have a tool. It's another thing to make folks want to use it.

Readers sent Talking Points Memo random items that, combined, painted the picture that led to the attorneys general scandal because they respected TPM's editor Josh Marshall and trusted that if they sent him interesting tidbits, TPM would go to work on them. People submit reviews to Yelp because it's already a great destination. People send tips to Michael Arrington and crew at TechCrunch because they know it's one of the most closely watched tech blogs.

A tool on its own does not engender the desire to use it. And as such, does not a news organization make. Unless the Fwix team works at making their site a great destination, Fwix will ultimately become a tool that other news organizations license and embed, rather than a standalone news operation.

OK, maybe not you specifically, if you're reading this in the Bay Area. But if you're in the UK, just maybe.

Britain's Sky News is the latest organization to offer an iPhone app with citizen journalism capabilities. The app primarily allows users to receive news updates on their iPhones. But it also lets users submit news and photos directly to Sky's Newsdesk with the click of a submit button.

They're not the first to do this. AP launched its Mobile News Network last year, which similarly is primarily a news delivery vehicle, with a citizen journalism feature included.

BayNewser is encouraged by these developments. After years of railing against the unwashed masses getting their grubby paws all over the high-fallutin' work of journalism, news organizations are finally coming around to the idea that having millions of eyes and ears out there picking up on interesting tidbits and shooting newsworthy goings-on might not be such a bad thing after all.

Per CNET, the Sky app is currently only available on the UK and Ireland iTunes store.

(Via CJR)