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January 14, 2008 at 09:35:25
OpEdNews.com: An interview with Rob Kall by Hans Bennett Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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--View entire Photo-essay documenting resistance to the war in Philadelphia in the weeks leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. OpEdNews.com: An interview with Rob Kall By Hans Bennett Frustrated with the corporate media, Rob Kall started OpEdNews.com in 2003, “about two weeks before the Iraq War's shock and awe was started,” It has grown into a prominent news website, which provides a valuable news service, and a powerful medium for independent journalists to publish their work.
With OpEdNews, Kall creatively works to connect the growing media democracy movement to the latest internet resources like Google and Yahoo News, as well as social networks like MySpace. This provides an important platform for independent journalists and activists to self-publish and reach a larger readership, and Kall is actively recruiting new writers for the website. Check it out!
Hans Bennett: How do you think independent media can best be used as a tool for socio/political/economic change?
Rob Kall: 1) Getting out messages that the “lamestream” media won't publish, 2) Enabling the everyday citizen to have a voice, and 3) Providing media tools and online tools that enable discussion, debate, action
HB: How does your website put this into action?
RK: Anyone can submit articles, diaries, comments. We're one of the 4500 sites that Google and Yahoo News have approved as a legitimate media site, so when an article is accepted (usually by one of our 25 volunteer editors) it gets a very wide circulation. Some of our articles have made the top of the front page of Google News.
In terms of action, we enable any writer to create a customized action page for any article or diary which makes it easy for readers to actually take action, contacting their federal legislators or local daily paper.
We also support groups, so an organization or just a group of people with similar interests can start a group and post articles so they show on the group page. This adds capabilities that most non profit organizations don't have.
HB: Sort of a cross between a strictly controlled website and IMC open publishing, how does OpEdNews.com decide which articles to publish?
RK: To qualify as a legitimate media site, we must moderate articles. So if you submit an article, it will go into our article queue, to be evaluated by one of our volunteer editors. We see an average of 40 to 60 a day. But we also offer diaries, and there is no moderation on diaries. I think we're one of only a very few sites that do both.
Reasons not to publish include: Bad writing, nothing new said, old news, or commentary on a no longer fresh issue, and self promotion. Often, when readers send comments or news tips, we'll encourage them to turn their comments, observations or tips into articles. Also, part of our editorial policy is to consider every article submission as a diary submission too, so if a submission doesn't cut it as an article, it may well make it as a diary, where the criteria are not as strict.
We will soon be adding a third level of content-- OpEdNews Journal-- which will have higher criteria-- including peer review, requirement that it be more than just commentary, and should have data derived from investigative research. We hope to pull six or ten articles a week from the 300-400 we publish that meet the higher criteria. Our goal is "modest": to produce articles of the same or higher quality than the NY Times or Wall Street Journal.
HB: What other independent news organizations have most influenced your work?
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| 9 comments |
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Thank you for the food for thought
I didn't realize the capacity and tools of OpEdNews. My gosh, what unused potential! by Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 307 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 at 10:51:23 AM  (0+)
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thanks
Hi, thank you... Glad you liked it. This website really does have a lot, and hopefully this interview can help spread the word, increase contributors, and make it even better. Please help spread the word to friends, family, and fellow activists & writers. Best, Hans by Hans Bennett (25 articles, 117 quicklinks, 141 diaries, 246 comments [35 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 at 11:12:03 AM (0+)
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definitely on my daily must read list
OpEd is definitely on my daily must read list to get the real news. I urge everyone support this site. by Michael Chavers (53 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 198 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 at 2:47:18 PM (0+)
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oped
How's that Tina Turner song go something like "simply the best, better than all the rest" or something like that. by tjb (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 255 comments [9 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 at 3:01:27 PM (0+)
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OpEdNews A Gift Of God
OpEdNews is a gift of God . It is a light illuminating our latter day Dark Ages. It is also a thorn in the eyes of the Power that be. There is no doubt that HR1955 's first onslaught will target freedom lovers and concerned citizens such as those assembled here and the site itself. Let us be extremely alert and watchful. Mercenary trolls are harbingers of thought police and censorship and much worse. Good luck to Rob for his Peace Crusade. by ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 793 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 at 4:56:30 PM (0+)
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THANK YOU ROB !!
Thank you Rob, since writing for OpEd, and reading the great articles, I've posted OpEdNews all over the internet to share articles with others. Thanks for a great resource!! by Bill Douglas (69 articles, 2 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 434 comments) on Tuesday, Jan 15, 2008 at 3:00:01 AM (0+)
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Great interview Rob
Interviews always capture something a little better. After reading it, I really felt like I could see your big picture more clearly. It's inspiring, and you deserve to feel a great sense of accomplishment. I agree with your assertions that OpEdNews already is a very important site, that it truly is open to all who are civil and can express themselves clearly, and that it has never ceased to keep evolving at a slow but steady rate that seems a sensible bet to win the race against the MSM behemoth. Are there any other sites that will, in good faith, display an article by a relatively unknown writer overtop of one by a nobel prize winner, both submitted by writers that felt pleased by the straightforwardness of the whole process. by Peter Dearman (10 articles, 32 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 144 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 15, 2008 at 11:59:43 AM (0+)
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But has the policy on not moderating diaries just changed?
"RK: To qualify as a legitimate media site, we must moderate articles. So if you submit an article, it will go into our article queue, to be evaluated by one of our volunteer editors. We see an average of 40 to 60 a day. But we also offer diaries, and there is no moderation on diaries. I think we're one of only a very few sites that do both." This diary entry refers to another diary entry that the writer wanted deleted and it has been deleted. So has the policy on there being "no moderation on diaries" now changed? by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 1308 comments) on Tuesday, Jan 15, 2008 at 9:03:52 PM (0+)
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Eye of the Beholder
The preponderance of the articles denotes a stance. You , while claiming to be a source of information the Main Stream propagandist avoids, only go as far as your rope lets you. You site is filled with propaganda. Note all the "political" articles, all,(that I have seen), every one Democat or Republican, this is what you call a contest, but what I call a great illusion, there is no salvation to be found in the belly of the beasts that enslave us. You may think of yourself as a "progressive" , thats what propagandist claim,where is the progress? In what direction does your "progressive aganda" take us? Right back to the dog and pony show call USA democracy. You need writers who understand the sham of the illusion Who get the fact that the "Electoral College" destroys "one man , one vote" Who sees the blatent collusion of the "Two Winged" party Who does not run polls asking who won the debate? There is no debate,there is not "a nickles worth of difference" You forward this illusion. You partake in the misdirection You are responsible You are part of the solution or your part of the proplem,so save crowning yourself with laurels It only works on the sheeple by Gleamer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments) on Saturday, Jan 26, 2008 at 11:58:16 AM (0+)
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