Digital Journal showcases power of user-generated media in 2011

Digital Journal is winning praise for its role in covering major international stories throughout 2011. Leveraging both technology and a global base of contributors, the company played a big role in covering 2011′s top stories.

Boasting a network of more than 34,000 members in 200 countries, Digital Journal’s reach allowed the social news network to take part in and lead editorial coverage of 2011’s major stories.

From the tsunami in Japan, to the Occupy movements in multiple geographies, to protests during the Arab Spring, Digital Journalists published breaking news, featured stories, photo essays and video of important stories.

“Digital Journal has cemented its position in the digital media industry, earning praise for curating and nurturing high-quality user-generated media and for improving our platform to allow virtually anyone to take part in the news,” said Chris Hogg, CEO of Digital Journal. “Going into 2012, we’re excited to continue to lead in the world of user-generated media along with our world-class base of contributors and a platform that is unmatched.”

In addition to being a hub for top-notch reporting, Digital Journal also introduced several platform enhancements that have grown uniques by more than 75 percent. Pageviews have more than doubled.

“As a pioneer and leader in the world of user-generated content, Digital Journal has built a business around scaling content across several verticals and multiple geographies,” said Hogg. “Our content assignment tool and gamification project were game-changers for our business. Today we’re as much a technology company as a media company, which is a necessity for any media company that wants to be a leader.”

Some of the major international stories covered by Digital Journalists include:

• The widespread London riots, from technology used to identify protesters to the thousands of arrests.
• Tracking and reporting on the Occupy movement in cities such as Toronto, New York, London, Edinburgh, Oakland, Baltimore, Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Detroit, Halifax, and more.
• Telling the many stories behind the Arab Spring protests, from Tunisia to Egypt.
• In-depth coverage on the tsunami that hit Japan.
• Reporting on protests in Greece and reactions from everyday citizens.
• Reporting on the effects of the severe drought in Somalia.
• Covering Hurricane Irene as it hit the US northeast.
• Reporting on the tornados that ripped through Joplin, MO.
• Photo essays covering the Vancouver riots after the 2011 Stanley Cup game.
• Telling the untold stories related to the Royal Wedding, including the many fans lining up to get a glimpse of the ceremony.
• Celebrity coverage from the Toronto International Film Festival, including photo stories showcasing many A-list celebs.
• Covering the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and tributes staged across the United States.
• Tracking the results of the 2011 Canadian federal election and providing breaking news on ridings and voting results.
• Publishing breaking news on the recent shooting massacre in Belgium.
• Writing on same-sex legislation passed in various U.S. states and foreign countries such as Malawi, including analysis of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal news.
• Chronicling the intense flooding in the Philippines and the recovery missions.

“It’s amazing to watch the power of user-generated content as it scales across our global social news network,” said David Silverberg, Managing Editor of Digital Journal. “From editorial excellence to ongoing interaction between contributors, not a day goes by that we don’t marvel at the power of crowdsourcing.”

About Digital Journal:Digital Journal is a global digital media network with 34,000+ professional and citizen journalists, bloggers, photographers and freelancers in 200 countries around the world. Regarded as a pioneer and leader in crowdsourcing and user-generated content, Digital Journal leverages its custom-built content platform and global reach to produce news and media content at scale in an environment that is built from the ground-up to be digital-first and social by nature. Digital Journal also consults and works with news organizations who want to leverage the power of their audience to acquire content, drive revenue and increase engagement from digital media properties.