Crowdsourcing

So, somehow I've stumbled upon an interesting website, KCNN.org, which will probably be providing me with an abundance of stuff to blog about.

Today I want to talk about a term I've never head before, called "crowdsourcing."

Has anybody else heard this term?

http://www.kcnn.org/tools/crowdsourcing

Basically it is in reference to using crowds, or the people, for information. In other words it means, "asking your readers, or your audience, to help you solve a problem."

Reporters are supposed to build a list of solid sources from which to get the best information for our stories. The way these guys talk about crowdsourcing is basically a lot like CNN's "IReport." Asking the people to feed you news and stories. But, is the general public a good source?

Anybody can be a source. Does that mean they can be a good source?

As journalists we often get the cold shoulder and find it challenging to get "inside" and get the real story. One pro of crowdsourcing, advocated by KCNN, is that it is an effective tool when "you have people inside an organization who may not be reachable through normal channels by a reporter."

But, the article is also quick to say, "Verify. Verify. Verify." Just a new website and a new term I wanted to throw out there to the masses of 239.