Where do most people go now to get their news? If the sharp reduction in newspaper readership has taught anything, it is that the internet has become the major source of information for people trying to understand what is happening in their world. Yet anyone who uses the internet or even twenty-four hour news channels as their source for news also knows the limitations of these platforms. The same limited number of stories get circulated over and over again. News channels get fixated on one or two stories, to the exclusion of everything else. Even local newspapers depend more and more on large national and global press associations for their stories. The result is a plethora of versions of the same three or four stories, and no coverage of small scale, local interest and business stories. How can it be that as the number of all-news networks increases and the reach of the internet expands, there seems to be less and less “news”?
Newswire, a New Source for News
Newswire will make use of a patent-pending technology to harness the power of independent bloggers, writers and journalists and the extent of the internet to create a forum for all news stories, not simply the few that interest the main media outlets. Newswire seeks to be for the news world and for independent journalists what the Sundance Film Festival has become for cinematography and independent filmmakers. The technology used by Newswire will allow news stories with even the smallest niche audiences to find those readers, and give truly talented but underappreciated independent writers, bloggers and journalists an opportunity to make a real impact.
The Newspaper of the Future
The technology used by Newswire will give small and local businesses, not-for-profits and community organizers a platform for their press releases. Newswire will work on the supposition that if it is new to you, then it is news to everyone else. Rather than taking the time and effort to put together a press release and hoping it will get picked up, every press release sent to Newswire will be carried on their network. Now people will have the opportunity to get a real feel for what is happening in their town, region, and country, uncensored by a supervising media outlet. In this sense Newswire will not only be the newspaper of the future; it will also be the news outlet that the Founding Fathers’ of the US dreamed of when they drafted the 1st Amendment to the Constitution regarding freedom of speech.
But Is Everything Truly News?
Some may suggest that if the current national and global media outlets do not pick up a story, maybe it is not truly newsworthy. This would overlook the simple fact that media outlets do not publish news as a favor to the general public, or out of a sense of civic responsibility. Almost all news outlets are multinational conglomerates who exist to produce profits for their shareholders. Their goal is to report stories with the widest possible appeal, and with the least possibility of losing even one listener or reader. That is why most media outlets report what all other outlets are reporting and will rarely take a risk on a “different” story. Like the major movie studios, it is easier for a newspaper, news channel or radio station to stick with what works than to take a chance on something new. This certainly does not mean that the major movie studios have not missed the boat on blockbuster movies by independent filmmakers many times over. In the same way, just because a story is not reported by the mainstream media does not mean it is not news worthy, or even that it does not have the potential to make a national or global impact.
Credibility and Work for 12,000,000 Independent Writers
An estimated 12 million independent writers, bloggers, and journalists currently work on the internet. That means there are twelve mission talented writers waiting to help small businesses make their news into a story. Newswire wants to harness the talent of those writers by giving them the credibility and backing of a news organization, and help them generate income by writing up press releases for small businesses and other local news sources. Newswire will vet each writer before they become a part of the network. Each member will submit five articles on a subject of interest to them, which will then be looked over by editors at Newswire for spelling and grammar, structure, content, and readability. Once a writer’s work has passed muster, each writer will need to agree to standard of journalistic ethics and conduct. Only then will they become full-fledged members of the Newswire network. This will ensure that articles on Newswire can be trusted as news and improve the overall credibility of everything put out by the network.
Press Releases and Small Businesses
Press releases can be a powerful form of advertising for small businesses. Why shouldn’t the creation of a new product line, the opening of a new store, or the hiring of a new President or CEO be news? For the most part, stories of these sorts are not picked up because media outlets make their profit from advertising, and therefore the publication of these stories is seen as giving away what they are trying to sell. From Newswire’s perspective, whether news comes from a private or public sector, the government or a corporation, a school or store; news is news.
Linking Local Businesses and the Press
When a business or organization submits a news item to Newswire, a credentialed writer will produce a press release and publish it on the Newswire platform. At the same time another writer or writers will pick up the press release and write an article on the same subject, at no cost to the business. The additional article ensures that a business has a press release presented on a legitimate wire service, and it is also available to be read as a news story in its own right.
So Who Benefits from Newswire?
In the end, who will benefit from Newswire and its work? First, the writers who will become associates of the network will receive credentials as journalists and the backing of a news organization. Second, there are the many small businesses, local non-profits, and community organizers, who for a minimal cost can use Newswire to ensure their news becomes news. Lastly, there are the many people who are thirsty for a source of news that is simply not what a media outlet wants them to know, but should be heard because it represents the full extent of what is truly happening around them.