Learn how to promote Citizen Journalism on your website with the right CMS

The Quint is a digital-first newsroom with over 3 million subscribers that cater to young readers. Quint has a dominant digital presence with an interactive website and mobile apps that contain stories varying from politics to social media trends.

Quint also stands out because of its smart use of user-generated content (UGC). Both the website and app carry a special segment called - “My report” where users can type in their stories, upload relevant images, and have these niche stories published on the platform. But how does The Quint do it?

Citizen journalism works on the idea of democratization journalism. This is where citizens write stories and publish them to get the recognition they deserve. Citizen journalists often cover stories that are hyperlocal and hold value to the community in one form or another.

For media houses, promoting citizen journalism can help in more ways than one. Not only does it encourage your readers to actively participate in journalistic efforts but it also helps generate quality UGC that can, in turn, provide value to the publisher.

Having readers contribute to stories, conversations on social media and sending write-ups on issues of importance can all enhance the content creation process. As a publisher, you can use UGC to build a powerful relationship with your readers. UGC also helps you draw conclusions that may help story building.

But how do you effectively manage your user-generated content? You could also have readers write into your mailbox but everyone knows how quickly that becomes cumbersome. Therefore it’s important you consider a content management solution that helps you manage UGC. This is what helps Quint manage one of the largest accounts of user-generated stories.

The Quint has a designated space for citizen stories on their page - “My Report”. They encourage citizen journalism through acknowledgment and certification. Readers can log into their Quint accounts and type in their stories directly. This platform is used to further the essence of journalism - the voice of the voiceless. Citizens can send in videos or text stories about local issues, community struggles, and much more. This is a platform where UGC thrives to support the spirit of journalism.

The Quint encourages readers to submit their stories. Quintype’s Bold CMS powers Quint’s content management. The Quint is able to provide a platform for their readers to submit their stories. The Bold CMS helps them to regulate the flow of UGC on their website.

The Process :

• All the reader reports are submitted to the CMS under a single category. Readers can upload text, images and videos. The story will contain all necessary information needed for publishing.

• Once submitted, the story is then reviewed by the team at Quint. Editors and journalists are free to review the text and pictures. Once qualified by the team and edited appropriately, the story is approved to be published.

• The Bold CMS ensures that the workflow is manageable and easy to decipher. There is no friction and the team at Quint can publish citizen stories with ease.

Impact of citizen journalism on the website

Quint has popularly helped citizens solve many community issues through their “My Report” feature. Quintype’s platform allows Quint to empower their readers base. They are able to submit, review and publish stories with ease. The direct submission onto the CMS helps avoid any unnecessary friction and gives the team a clear insight into their UGC, the analytics associated, and the overall performance.

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