While there are some pessimistic attitudes towards user-generated content and its effect on mainstream media, many publishers view user input as a helpful contribution in shaping coverage and addressing community issues.  For example, Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co. embarked on a lucrative venture when it launched YourHub.com, a blog-hosting site, at its Denver newspaper.

GetPublished, a community-based site for user content hosted by The Enquirer, received 1,180 stories, 523 photographs, and 864 events by users in May 2007, putting its page view statistics (157, 619) 16% ahead of those from May 2006.

Solicitation for user-generated content also can help newspapers by grabbing the attention of target audiences, as the Enquirer learned with its online venture CincyMoms.com.  The website, which targets mothers specifically, has drawn over 5 million page views and boasts 6,800 registered users, a sign of returning readers.

With online advertising increasing and traditional media scrambling to adapt accordingly, all companies should at least try to utilize user-based sites to spread their messages, said Rick Miller, president of Northlich Public Relations.

Nevertheless, solicitation of user-content may not always be the saving grace of newspapers, especially those that strive for high standards of editorial quality and material.  Profane and inappropriate user-submitted comments forced The Enquirer to limit its use of the “story chat” features on its online stories and opt for a moderated comment board.  And as Andrew Keen believes, the trivial and fragmented nature of user-generated content might just lead to the downfall of traditional media.

Source: The Enquirer through I Want Media