Who controls the news? On the Web, you can.

Sites where readers vote on what's news are a challenge that traditional news organizations ignore at their peril.

from the September 26, 2007 edition

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But that doesn't mean these two approaches can't live together in our new media universe. For instance, in 2004 the Monitor had a story about a Chilean newspaper that builds the front page of its print edition based on what people read on its website. As a result, the paper has a wider and more diverse selection of news than a traditional paper.

Another example of the changing face of journalism is DailySource.org, where Web users suggest what stories should appear on it. The website has a small group of paid editors, but it mostly relies on volunteers scattered across the United States to select the news it features on its site each day. (Volunteers don't have to be professional journalists. They just have to be interested in the news.)

Along with traditional news sources, it also features video from sites like YouTube and material from blogs. On the left-hand navigation bar, users will find a link that says "submit an article" where they can do just that. Those suggestions are considered by editors who select the top stories. (Full disclosure: I've acted occasionally as an adviser to the site because I think their project is such an intriguing one.)

The site is the brainchild of Peter Dunn, a journalist and a former media coach and consultant. Mr. Dunn's long-term goal is to have a DailySource module for cities across the US, where people could help contribute to their local news coverage.

"Instead of relying on the stretched resources of one paper," Dunn says, "People could get high-quality articles and information from over a thousand publications including daily papers, television network sites, newsmagazines, journals, blogs, and others.

"But it's more than just news. I would love to see these local daily sources become a place where people could find resources and share stories about their communities and share ideas about how to solve problems – and even share solutions with other communities facing similar issues."

Hybrid news sites like DailySource.org as well as social networking sites like Digg, Reddit, and Del.icio.us illustrate the decentralizing power of the Internet. People are no longer content to be told by traditional news gatekeepers that "this is news." More and more Web users are replying, "Well, so is this." And smart journalists and editors are listening to what they have to say.

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