In a recent Forbes article (‘If They Write It, Will They Come?’), Lincoln Millstein, a former Boston Globe features editor, proposed that user-generated content be leveraged for feature stories on news sites, even replacing stories by staff writers. In other words, the line between blogger and journalist continues to blur.
“You don’t need professional journalists to put out a travel section,’’ Millstein said. “You don’t need professional journalists to put out a food section, in my opinion. I had a hundred journalists reporting to me. I don’t believe that model works, I don’t believe it needs to work. I believe the user is actually better served by having user-generated, high-quality content in all those ‘back of the book’ sections.â€
Millstein cites Gannett as an example of a newspaper company which has done the best job integrating user content and feature sections. BlogBurst bloggers appear on many different pages of USA Today, including the Home page and the following sections:
I just love watching the evolution!