Professionalizing User Generated Content

Since the advent of websites like Wikipedia and YouTube, user generated content has been a way for citizen journalists to publish themselves. However, user generated content tends to lack verification. Websites like IAmNews.com and AssociatedContent.com are user generated content sites geared toward news, and they make an effort to verify information before it is published.

The free nature of the Internet makes content difficult to regulate. News and information sources such as Wikipedia.com and Blogger.com have minimal fact checking involvement with articles published on their site.

"The wide availability and familiarity of those websites drives people to use them without questioning their legitimacy," said Vishal Patel, a frequent user of Wikipedia.com. Patel recalled, when starting out at Stony Brook, being warned of the dangers of Wikipedia, an encyclopedia-like website that is comprised of information published by its users.

"I always figured my professor was just trying to get me to use the campus databases (...) I never understood the dangers, until I referenced a Wikipedia article in a philosophy paper. My information was wrong, and my professor took points off," Patel said.

"I read various news blogs regarding video games, and I noticed that future release dates and game concepts tend to be off. I guess when it comes to news that matters those kinds of mistakes are a big deal," said Patel.

This is true as the nation saw when a CNN iReport poster said that they had an inside source that reported Steve Jobs had a severe heart attack. Apple's stock dropped below $100 a share before it was revealed to be a hoax.

Howard Schneider is the Dean of the School of Journalism, and also a lecturer of the school's News Literacy course. In his class, Schneider warns his students that user generated content is usually not peer reviewed, and must be reviewed with great skepticism. Usually, content that appears in print or broadcast has been fact-checked.

Professional journalists use reliable sources, and have editors to check things like grammar and factual information. User generated content does not usually have these "fail-safes" in place.

"The bottom line is that news needs rigorous verification," said Schneider. He noted that user generated content tends to be considered for publication based on economics. "These sites are run by entrepreneurs, and the content is cheap or free," said Schneider.

AssociatedContent.com has been operational since 2005, but its news department just got going. Matt Hammer, a student at Stony Brook University, publishes content to the site relatively often. He is enthusiastic, but still skeptical of the content on the site.

"Before they had their news department, I guarantee news articles published to the site were not being read with proper journalism in mind. This obviously posed a problem. With the news department now, they do read the articles keeping good journalism in mind. Although I think they have some more work to do to get the news department to where it needs to be," said Hammer.

Hammer also noted that the site reviews news content faster and thusly catching fewer errors.

"I wouldn't fully trust the news published to the site. Being a journalism major helps me to distinguish which articles I can and cannot trust. I feel the site has more credibility than that of a Wikipedia; however, it should still be read with critically and the reader should keep an open mind about what he or she is reading," said Hammer.

AssociatedContent.com has proven to be somewhat unsuccessful journalistically.

Prior to submitting content for publication the user receives a message from the site: "Content submitted into the news category must adhere to the highest level of journalistic ethics. Content cannot contain false quotes, fabricated facts, parody or material that is not fact-checked. Submitting content in this manner is a serious violation of AC's policies, publishing guidelines, and the terms and conditions of the AC Licensing Agreements."

This policy has proven to be ineffective.

Elizabeth Brown, an Associated Content user from Los Angeles, California, published an article regarding the trampling death of a Wal-Mart worker on Black Friday: "At 5:00am EST on Friday, a mob of customers in Valley Green, New York on Long Island broke down the doors of a Wal-Mart and trampled a 34-year-old employee to death," wrote Brown.

The name of the town is actually Valley Stream, and according to MSNBC, "the impatient crowd knocked the employee, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion." The article was published on Nov. 28, 2008, and as of Dec. 3 had not been corrected.

Nir Ofir, an experienced coordinator of social content, has a plan for IAmNews.com that shows more promise for verification.

"It's a mix of peer review, the credentials of the user that submitted content, and data stamps on generated content (photos, videos)," said Ofir. IAmNews.com is currently choosing which reporters will be able to publish on their site as well. "Actually we just started our initial alpha few days ago. We are rolling out invites to more than 1000 publishers, reporters and enthusiastic people that asked to be part of this alpha. Currently only invited users can get in and starting to build their reputation. Soon we will enable them to put their credentials and work history + validate their previous online work and blogs/photos," said Ofir in an e-mail.

Economically, IAmNews.com's future cannot be predicted because it has not even started yet, but Associated Content is making money and paying content providers.

"So far, Associated Content has been fruitful for me. Although it's not a way to make a lot of money fast, over time your earnings do increase. It's good for some extra pocket change. Besides from the money, it has also been a good resource for me to get my writing out there," said Hammer.

He also mentioned being named Best New Content Producer of the month in May, earning a $50 stipend for it.

"Professionalizing user generated content will do two things as far as I can tell," said Patel "[It will] make internet news more reliable, and more expensive." AssociatedContent.com has shown that it has a weak verification process, but it is still making money. For raw information purposes, Dean Schneider said "UGC can improve news coverage."

Schneider does however maintain that is dangerous to have untrained journalists reporting on sensitive news stories. "Would you want to be operated on by a citizen surgeon?"