CNN has plans to expand its citizen journalist driven iReport into its own Web site.
The new site will be hosted at iReport.com and will be devoted entirely to user-produced news. Contributors to the site will be able to post whatever content they choose according to CNN. Previously iReport submissions were selected by editors and fact checked before they made it online or on the air.
The site has a social media feel similar to YouTube according to MediaWeek. Visitors to iReport can search through categories including sports, weather and politics. Users will be able to rate and share clips as well as embed them on other sites. Contributors will be able to create profiles and develop a following.
“The community will decide what the news is,” said Susan Grant, executive vp CNN News Services. “We are not going to discourage or encourage anything. . . . iReport will be completely unvetted.” CNN will police the site for inappropriate content.
Grant said that iReport content will carry a disclaimer stating that it does not reflect the editorial views of CNN.
As for advertising Grant said,” We’re going to start very, very small.” The site will have a single display ad on its homepage and no pre-roll video ads. “I don’t know if we’re ever going to have them,” she said.
To spark participation CNN is turning to regular contributors to the iReport such as Rick Ebrecht of Savannah, Ga. whose videos of storms aired on CNN. Ebrecht voiced concern over the openness of the site.
“The first thing that came to mind is ethics and credibility,” he said. “People have to not take things at face value. People (on the site) will have to keep an eye on each other.”
CNN created the iReport in August 2006, and since its launch it has received more than 100,000 photos and video submissions.
