The cable news network on Tuesday plans to announce it has created a new program to let users send in digital audio and video from breaking news events in their region. Users can e-mail or upload these so-called "I-Reports" directly from CNN's site.
Contributions are vetted by seasoned editors much in the same way all news tips are followed up, Susan Bunda, senior vice president of news at CNN/U.S. said in an interview.
The news network also has created a new Web site, CNN Exchange, which will house user-generated audio and video submissions.
"This is an opportunity to hear the very personal stories of people who know the events ... and are able to share with the world," Bunda said.
Although news organizations have accepted user contributions for years -- one of the most memorable being the 1991 videotaped beatings of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department -- viewers armed with cheap digital cameras and camera phones have now taken to sharing glimpses of their world with increasing frequency on the Web.
Last year, the first grainy images of the aftermath of the London bombings came from cell phone camera images long before professional photo journalists hit the scene.
Many of these images hit personal Web sites before they reached mainstream media.
"You never know how life unfolds in front of you," Bunda said.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/31072006/80-91/cnn-boost-citizen-journalism-initiative.html
