Big media buys Citizen Journalism

In big news for Scoop.co.il, last week big media company Mcclatchy corporation (remember: the guys who bought Knight Ridder and own the Fresno Bee newspaper) bought FresnoFamous.com and ModestoFamous.com, two California-based leaders in Citizen Journalism.

Here is my favorite quote from Mcclatchy on the topic:

“Purchasing a strong franchise such as FresnoFamous.com gives The Bee another way in which to reach younger readers with information they seek," said Valerie Bender, vice president of custom publications for The Bee. “Our intention is to keep the high standard of blogging and information that has led to the success of FresnoFamous.com and to, over time, continue to grow the content and opportunities for citizen journalism on the site."

I wonder how the oligarch world of Israeli newspapers will react to the growth of Scoop and Citizen Journalism in Israel. Something tells me that giving readers a say in the public agenda that the newspapers now control is not something they will be hurrying to do. :(