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March 31, 2008
Posted: 10:13 AM ET

At CNN we argue a lot about what’s news. The results of those daily discussions, of course, are displayed in bold headlines on the CNN.com home page or in stories on our cable network shows.

But over on our new site, iReport.com, we’re trying something different.

iReport.com is a place where anyone with a story to share is invited to upload it, and anyone else is welcome to rate it, share it or comment on it. The big, bold headlines on that site are the stories that provoke the most heated conversations or score the highest ratings.

On iReport.com, you determine what’s news. And stories float to the top of the iReport.com homepage – on what we’re calling the “newsiest” list — based on community activity. The idea is that there’s news value in what people read, talk about and send to their friends.

iReport.com has only been live for a few short weeks, but already the “newsiest” list has turned up some fascinating stories, and not exactly what you might find on your favorite traditional news site:

  • The Chicago River turns green in a time-lapse video from St. Patrick’s Day in downtown Chicago
  • A mother of a 19-year-old U.S. Marine who’s about to go to Iraq says she’s scared, and commenters jump in to offer support
  • A man recalls the day he heard Martin Luther King was shot, and how his neighbors reacted

So what do you think? Are they newsworthy? Head over to iReport.com today to cast your own vote for what counts as news. Upload a story, rate someone else’s, join the conversation. Hope to see you there.

Posted by: Lila King, Sr. Producer for Interactive Storytelling
Filed under: content


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Mary N   April 1st, 2008 8:09 am ET

In a word, NO. I go to news sources for *filtering*: I want to know what’s truly important among the hundreds of thousands of events that occur every day. I’m tired of being presented with feature stories masquerading in ‘news language’. News has moved from events of import to feature stories because news organizations chase what sells (sadly, gossip and features, apparently; see The Atlantic’s story “The Britney Show” if you wish to be convinced). It’s why I have abandoned spending money to purchase news. Give me events of important and tell me why I should care. The web sites, television programs, radio shows, magazines, and newspapers that do this capture my attention. I do my best to avoid wasting my time on stories like the ones you list.

Terry   April 1st, 2008 12:22 pm ET

Cnn had a good one yesterday….50 cents is backing obama now instead of Hillary…now is that news worth telling us?…I guess they think so being so liberal and so one sided with their news..I guess they think so…This so called news channel FOXNEWS…lol… has been a joke the last 7 years with their one sided reporting and made it on comedy central,,,it looks like CNN wants to get in comedy now also….

Mike   April 1st, 2008 2:37 pm ET

Most of what CNN posts to its’ home page these days is not something I would consider news. I applaud this effort to branch out and cover non-traditional stories but CNN needs to either massively reorganize to be less sensational or change its name to Celebrity News Network.

topeka concerned   April 1st, 2008 3:46 pm ET

why was a man in Topeka Kansas tassed by the sheriff at goodyear tire factory then he died..whats the story on this? I assume it will get washed under the rug like so many other things that seem to just deminish and the ones hurt are the one left behind.

Carl   April 1st, 2008 3:47 pm ET

No, it isn’t news. It’s fluff; pure fluff. It’s the Wikipedia of would-be-but-can’t-make-the-cut journalists.

Ed in OK   April 23rd, 2008 2:26 pm ET

I would enjoy a deep investigation into some basic facts of financing and economics.

How far into debt has the Bush administration taken the American people and what will be the future costs of his decisions long after he has left the White House?

What has this over financing and leveraging of our economy done to the value of the dollar and what future damage will it cause to our inheritance and personal wealth?

Explain how monetary policy verses fiscal policy has created this mirage of a solid economic condition long past the time it was so.

How can you borrow twice as much money as you owed 8 years ago and hope to continue business as usual without raising revenue through new taxes? Who will have to pay these bills if we keep deferring any payment to China and others who own our debt?

How responsible is it for our leadership to mortgage our national debt to communist countries? China owns 60% or our National Debt. What happens if they should call the note? In a moment they could create a total meltdown of the American and ultimately World economy. I wished this irresponsible business tactic would be fully exposed by the news media. It will be the next President’s problem if it is not uncovered now so that George W. Bush and his republican controlled Congress does not have to own it…..

Get busy showing us what they have done to Americans over the past 8 years and we have a chance of this election actually changing our destiny away from disaster.

Peter I Powell   April 27th, 2008 8:49 pm ET

How can you have a problem deciding what News Is? Hasnt the Journalism Schools defined the following:
WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN HOW and WHY??
Also get 3 verifiable sources on stories!!! CNN is NOT a News Org so far
You just live bcast the Rev Wright harange!!! What is THAT Story? And why is CNN becomes a political activist? CNN is destroying the process!
WHY NOT HAVE ISSUES BE PRESENTED BY EACH OF THE 3 CANDIDATES FOR THE pRESIDENCY, GIVING EA CANDIDATE 15 MINUTES SOLO ON

THE ECONOMY AND THE COST OF FOOD
THE ECONOMY AND MORTGAGES
THE ECONOMY AND JOBS
THE IRAQ WAR
THE AFGHANISTAN WAR
EDUCATION
HEALTH CARE
POVERTY

THAT WOULD BE NEWSWORTHY. AND HELP- THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
SINCERELY, A PAST CORRESPONDENT AT TIME INC.

PETER I POWELL

Joyce   May 11th, 2008 10:58 am ET

Behind the Scene: We talk about the weather and how or who or when or why about aid to the different countries, like Myanmar but what about America this country. We have people losing homes, people dying right here in our country because of the storms/weather conditions but do we hear about what or who or why or when will these our own people get help. We just had whole towns cleared by weather conditions and the media lets us know about it.

We really would like to know about what is being done to assist the people. We as American Citizens help with food drives; we help with the salvation army but we never he that the Red Cross went in. We know that they should have or FEMA should have.

I hurt for the World we live in. People helping people is what we are about but what about HOME. The people at home are consider you family.

John Brown   May 13th, 2008 10:24 am ET

The news today is too cliche for my liking. Whatever happened to reports on foreign news. I would rather see what is happening in Myanmar or China. It seems that in today’s news, many channels have forgotten that there is more in the world than Obama, Clinton, and McCain. There is more than Red or Blue, and it is about time that the news channels start realizing this.

Lynn in Ohio   August 9th, 2008 10:27 am ET

Almost all stories I see from I-reports are not even close to news. Maybe nice human interest stories but they do not deserve a second of air time on a national news program. The only thing that warrants the title of news is a recent event, a pending event, or a proclamation that has the potential to directly affect the lives of large numbers of people.

Please unblur the line of news from celebrity gossips ASAP.

Gail Jones   August 9th, 2008 2:30 pm ET

IReports is like dessert made by an egotistical amateur chef. It may be good; it may be pleasant; but without the vegetables and whole wheat bread, it will make you sick. And the excess personality is irritating and encourages the perpetrators to think they are accomplishing something. At least, don’t put solicitations for this dumb stuff in with the real news.

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