OhmyNews is a Korean news site that relies on citizen reporters for content. OhmyNews International is the English arm of the operation, and feature stories from Ukraine to Kenya. The site features links to Korean and world news, as well as Science and Technology, Art and Life, Entertainment and Sports stories. There is also an opinion section, which features profiles of featured writers and a talkback forum.
OhmyNews’s commitment to citizen journalism is reflected in the site’s CJ link. ‘Citizen journalism is here to stay’ declares one of the stories in the section. The front page of the site features the ‘Buzztracker’ – showing daily news ‘hotspots’, and OMN is always looking for new citizen reporters. CyberJournalist.net put out a call on OMN’s behalf before the Olympics looking for people to report from Beijing.
OhmyNews is a strong example of how citizen journalism can work - and be reliable and attract a wide audience at the same time.
Oh my News [I'm looking at the English-language International site] is a remarkably successful model of citizen journalism. Before addressing the journalism side of things, I think it is interesting to consider how tech-savvy South Korea is as a society. Access to broadband in SK is so widespread it is enough to make an Australian weep.
A friend of mine, Ms A. Rassall, has spent a lengthy stay in South Korea, and these are some of her observations of its cyber-assimiliated society:
The best bits were the technomarts…floors and floors of gadgets sometimes 8-10 stories high. One for cameras one for computers one for phones with tv screens on the top so people could receive the free broadcast straight to their mobiles. It was totally surreal to be on the trains every day and to be the only one not watching tv. In idea it’s forward thinking I guess, but in practise it feels old school because the phones are often larger than we’re used to seeing and it feels a bit like an episode of lost in space.
Those savvy with the wiles of the world wide web are wary, I would suggest, of paying for the privilege of accessing content on the Internet. Or, as ShosOn, commenting on Mark Day’s blog at The Australian, put it: “Charge money for a podcast!? HAHAHAHAHAHHA [sic] Meanwhile, back in the real world…”
There are good examples of Internet users being beneficiaries of the largesse and altruism of various organisations all over the web, as well as instances of content providers finding ways to stay afloat while at the same time securing an audience.
Since 2006 Google has provided the 70000 residents of Mountain View, California (in Silicon Valley) with free WiFi Internet. It’s one way of keeping the neighbours happy.
Skype is another freebie available on the net. Computer-to-computer chat is free, while costs are attached to computer-to-phone calls.
All of the Australian magazine The Monthly’s articles are published on the Internet. Free important selected content is available for anyone to read on the website, while other material is restricted to online subscribers.
