We can all agree that the Internet has fundamentally altered the landscape for journalists. Many claim that that Internet is responsible for the demise of traditional journalism as we know it. Well, the folks behind OpenFile.ca, which launched Monday, believe they have just what journalism needs to reinvent itself.
The concept is simple: open a file. The process is literally that simple. Do you have an idea for a story but don't have the time or expertise to execute it yourself? Create an account with OpenFile and then propose the story idea. OpenFile's editorial staff review the story idea and then assign it to a journalist near whatever location the story pertains to. You can even input your postal code (near the top of the site) to find out if there are any journalists covering stories in your region.
There is a catch though and that's because OpenFile is solely Toronto based, at least for now. The whole project is the brainchild of Wilf Dinnick, a journalist who has worked for CNN, CBC and Global. Leah McLaren recently talked to Dinnick about the notion behind the project for the Globe and Mail.
In essence, [Dinnick] says, "the idea was to match social media with professional journalism."
Dinnick, along with a couple other journalists, a financial advisor, and several millions of dollars in investment sought to build a social networking website that worked for journalists and community members. But as McLaren remarks, "there's a big difference between selling your bike on Craigslist and breaking a serious news story in a balanced, responsible way."
Dinnick insists that his site is not about citizen journalism so much as the marriage of user participation with professional editorial standards. And that, of course, brings us to the nagging question of credibility.
Only time will tell now whether this novel form of journalism will either catch on with the community of Toronto and/or whether other news businesses and organizations will begin to emulate this model, but it is clearly a novel and exciting format for journalism.
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