The first world news Web site dedicated to citizen photojournalism, http://www.wesay.com/, made its debut today and features the work of both mainstream media and amateur photographers.
The site is organized into five categories (News, Environment, Sports, Celebs and Far Out) where WeSay.com visitors can create their own profile page of submitted photos as well as sign up for a free membership.
Editors review member-submitted photos and select images to feature on the site's homepage alongside photos by professional photojournalists. Editor's Choice awards are also issued for photos of particular merit.
Some citizen submissions to date include photographs of the flooding in Iowa, an Olympic torch protest in Chile and a surprise performance by Bruce Springsteen at a private benefit in New Jersey.
"Anyone who carries a camera or cell phone camera is a potential citizen photojournalist and has the ability to make an impact," said WeSay.com president Jim DeBoth. "We want to give the average citizen the power to shape world news."
The site also includes tips for citizen photojournalists. If visitors do not have photographs to submit, they can read and comment in various other features such as Hot Topic, What's Your Solution and Talk Back. Editorial cartoons and guest columns are regular features as well.
"We encourage photographers, both professional and amateur, to participate in our site and showcase their photographs," DeBoth said. "If you have great photos of local events, weather, sports or just something strange in your neighborhood, don't hide it, share it. If it's a strong photo, we'll promote it on our site."
WeSay.com held its first citizen photojournalism contest in conjunction with the launch and the grand prize winner was Naom Galai for his photo of a steam pipe explosion in New York City. DeBoth believes WeSay.com will eventually launch some photographers into new careers as photojournalists.
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