Craigslist head confirms citizen journalism project

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark caused a stir this week at the Silicon Valley Comes to Oxford event by confirming his plans to launch a citizen journalism project.

Despite a staff of just 18, Craigslist is estimated to have cost the US classified advertising market around $50 million because it is free to use. More than 10 million people use the site every month.

Mr Newmark was reportedly brainstorming with citizen journalism evangelist Dan Gillmor back in May. He has now announced that a project will be up and running within three months.

MediaGuardian reported that at a conference for business students, Mr Newmark would not give specific details of the project but said it would be separate from the Craigslist classified site. He also said that the technological structure would allow readers to decide on the major stories.

Mr Newmark will be exploiting a public backlash against the mainstream media in the US which, he said, had been fuelled by uncritical coverage of the White House and the invasion of Iraq.

Craigslist started in San Francisco in 1995 as a simple classified ad website. The site is almost completely free to use - the only paid adverts are jobs in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Ironically, those paid-for listings were introduced at the requests of readers because too many adverts were making the site difficult to use.

The emphasis is on social networking - a non-commercial, community site that adapts and responds to the needs of its users.

Craigslist expanded to the UK in April 2003 and now lists twelve cities including Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle and Bristol.

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