PerthNorg has dipped its toes into the Web 2.0 webpool and it's sending out big ripples.
PerthNorg, Australia's first truly local collaborative news site has launched in Perth. The site aims to become a powerful voice for the Perth community to have their say on the day-to-day issues that affect them.
The site relies on users who register as Cit J's (citizen journalists) to contribute news, which they then vote up or down. The news can be original material, links to other media sites as well as photos, videos or podcasts.
"We want to give people the chance to have a real say in the news that's important to them in a way not previously possible," said PerthNorg founder Bronwen Clune. PerthNorg is part of an emerging trend in new media, often dubbed News 2.0, that gives news a collaborative and interactive format.
"While some traditional news media have adopted basic interactive features they will always be limited in their ability to be truly collaborative," PerthNorg founder Bronwen Clune said.
"The advantage we have over traditional news is that while they may rely on their news partners to share stories our users can source news that interests them from anywhere. "They can also have a say on the things that affect them without it being filtered by traditional editors - they are in editorial control and they choose what is important to them."
All Cit J's on the site have the ability to vote a story up or down, leave comments or submit material.
PerthNorg's initial focus is on developing its local content written by its community of citizen journalists.
"Our belief is that everyone has something valuable to contribute and it doesn't have to represent a traditional news story - it can be a personal experience, an opinion or observation," Ms Clune said.
PerthNorg has some investor backing and has plans to expand its news model to other Australian cities.