Media by the People, For the People

The unprecedented level of media saturation in our daily lives is making it increasingly difficult to tell the truth from what can simply be passed off as bias. As the pile of online information grows, media outlets try to keep up by chasing headlines that attract larger audiences, whilst many stories go under- or unreported, particularly at a local level.

Enter Spot.Us, a nonprofit project from the Center for Media Change. Their goal is to create a model for “community funded reporting” that brings journalists, news organizations and members of the community together in one place.  According to the Spot.Us website, the process begins with a tip, reporters then pitch stories based on this information which the public can then choose to fund with donations.  If the Obama campaign is any indication of what can be accomplished when passionate individuals make small contributions then this project has the potential to create a powerful new voice in the vast sea of media. The early focus appears centered around the Bay Area, but we expect that it will be introduced into other major markets soon.

[via Cnewmark]