One Day on Earth Participant Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

Where do you see Stroome in the future?

Clearly you saved the toughest question for last. It’s tough to say. But this much I do know. With a collaborative platform like ours it’s what the community does with Stroome that will shape the future. We’re just the catalyst.

And finally besides wishing them even greater success in the future, we want to congratulate to all other winners.

We want to say thanks to Naveen Naqvi who shared her time and views with us.

NewsMeBack: Since you participated in the Eurasian Media Forum Conference what are your impressions from the event?

Naveen Naqvi: If there was a conclusion in my mind, it was that soon there will be no choice but for the various mediums of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ to combine. The important question posed by the World Economic Forum at my session was whether it is economically feasible. I think it is.

NewsMeBack: In your opinion how important information is in ones life?

Naveen Naqvi: In the world we live at this time, it is impossible to exist without being informed all the time. The world is constantly changing, every hour, every minute.

NewsMeBack: Can you describe media in your country?

Naveen Naqvi: Pakistan has seen a media boom. Due to frequent breaking news events, there has been a surge in 24-hour news channels. Entertainment channels as a result have not done so well lately. Even so, the television and radio industries, mobile technology and the internet are industries that are growing at a remarkably rapid rate given how poor a country this is. If there’s one investment to make right now in Pakistan, it’s in the media. But as we know, booms don’t last so let’s see.

NewsMeBack: Do you think that newspaper have real problem with “old” news, because of printing process, unlike social media where news go live?

Naveen Naqvi: Newspapers are in trouble in Pakistan as they are everywhere in the world. Given that, we have just seen a new newspaper launched just last month. The print medium is looking increasingly toward broadcast and online to rescue it. As people have access to breaking news through many channels that also show constant news analysis, people are spending less money on buying papers. Internet access is limited so the social media are less influential here than TV.

NewsMeBack: Is citizen journalism serious competition to traditional media?

Naveen Naqvi: I think it is and should be. People-powered news is the best thing to have happened in my opinion. You can see from the ban on facebook and youtube that social media really challenge the state. This is a good thing.

NewsMeBack: Is there a difference between citizen journalism in democratic and non democratic countries?

Naveen Naqvi: The ‘traditional’ or ‘mainstream’ media are biased everywhere in the world. The US is supposed to be the standard of democracy but their media from print to broadcast and so on all have editorial biases. Citizen journalism offers an opportunity to break those restrictions. However, it is true that it would not be possible to ban a website like Pakistan has done with Facebook and Youtube in privileged countries.

NewsMeBack: Positive and negative sides of citizen journalism.

Naveen Naqvi: On the positive side, it gives people, citizens who are mostly disempowered a voice, a platform to be heard. In criticism I can say that citizen journalists are more vulnerable than professionals. The downside of the internet is that it gives states a tool to monitor everyone. Critics can be found and sometimes, arrested as in Russia and Iran.

NewsMeBack: What do you think are the biggest citizen journalism problems and can they be fixed?

Naveen Naqvi: One of the first things you’re taught as a professional journalist is the importance of ethics. In order to give credible news, you must check your story with two sources. It’s best if those two sources are opposing sides of the story. As a journalist, it is your responsibility to give all angles. Of course, this is not always true, but ideally that is how it should be. Maybe there can be a way of training citizen journalists to keep that in mind when presenting a report or analysis.

NewsMeBack: What is the best example of citizen journalism until now?

Naveen Naqvi: Michael Tippett of NowPublic brought to my attention a story out of Canada. Corruption cases in the police and other state tools are often overlooked by the mainstream media (as I said, everywhere in the world) because of editorial biases. A citizen journalist exposed a corrupt police officer on the internet, and eventually, there was action against him.
Also in Pakistan where I live, a young girl lost her life to medical negligence. Through a campaign by her family on the internet, phone and billboards, it was possible for them to find justice for the death of their daughter.

NewsMeBack: Where do you see future of citizen journalism?

Naveen Naqvi: I think and hope that there will be more of it as the mainstream media seems to have no option but to turn to internet content and people-powered news.

For more details about Naveen Naqvi and her carrier visit her blog naveenaqvi.com

Thanks to Tom Grasty for sharing his time with us and giving us more info about Stroome.

1. How did Stroome get the name?

We wanted a name that could work as both a noun and a verb. Much in the same way people now say, “Google it,” we want people to say, “Stroome me,” when they have great content they want to share. It just so happens ‘Strome’ is the Dutch verb that means ‘to move freely,’ which is exactly what we want our site to facilitate— the movement of ideas, points of view and content between people. We fussed with the spelling a bit, but the underlying meaning is still there.

2. Who made Stroome?

Believe it or not, the initial concept for Stroome came from a talking fish. Co-founder Nonny de la Peña was asked to write a story about how most fish communicate with sounds for the New York Times Science section. Knowing that most people would want to see and hear a fish talk, Nonny wanted to produce an accompanying web video. The problem was that, as is too often the case, she was on a short deadline with no budget. She lost time waiting for video tapes to be sent overnight; lost time waiting for file conversations from scientists sending video in incompatible formats; lost time uploading cuts to the editors in New York. As a result, everyone had to work until the last minute. And although the piece made the top ten most-emailed list at the Times, she realized there had to be a better way. The answer was Stroome.

3. For which audience is Stroome intended?

Right now, our target market is students in journalism, film and digital media schools because there’s a real need for a free, browser-based video editing tool in the classroom. Our ultimate goal, however, is for people to think of Stroome as a place where anyone with a camera and a point of view can work with like-minded friends and colleagues to polish, publish and promote their content to a potential audience of millions. This is why we think it’s such an important, and relevant, tool for the citizen journalist.

4. What do you think will be the most popular on Stroome— audio, video or photo?

We consider ourselves a video editing site first and foremost. So the short answer is probably video. Fortunately, however, we can accommodate all types of media.

5. Considering your offer – shoot, stream, slice and share – does it mean that every person can easily report about fresh events with Stroome?

Absolutely. Because Stroome provides the tools for pushing that content across the web and hosts forums that allow the community to help each other in creating polished and professional content, the sense of community and collaboration will make the tool accessible to everyone. Whether it’s a small group of journalists working to get out a story quickly, or a community remixing pieces to reflect their point of view, Stroome is unique in focusing on visual journalism as a participatory process.

6. What is the connection between Stroome and citizen journalism?

Hopefully, it’s growing. Over the last few weeks, we’ve really been getting out there and letting citizen journalism sites — News Me Back, Ground Report, All Voices, Demotix, Newsvine and ProPublica — know the platform is available. And the response has been incredible. The Tiziano Project is perfect example. Dedicated to expanding knowledge and access to information worldwide by empowering communities with unique story-telling tools, the Tiziano Project will soon be deploying Stroome in war-torn Congo so that community members can report their stories and improve their lives.

7. What do you think about citizen journalism?

For a long time mainstream news organizations have paid lip service to the notion of ‘citizen journalism.’ But now, it seems, they are walking the walk. They understand that if the right platform can be created that facilitates news aggregation, then costs can be lowered as more stories are being covered at a hyper-local level. The paradigm is shifting, and we hope that Stroome will play a part in that shift. And in many ways we already are. In fact, just last fall we won the Audience Award at the Online News Association for best new start-up in the digital news space.

8. What is your opinion about the future of citizen journalism?

I don’t think it’s going to fall completely into either a ‘citizen’ or a ‘journalism’ bucket. It’s going to be a hybrid. Yes, technology has democratized everything –- including how the news is gathered — but most people still get their news from traditional news sources. So the future of citizen journalism will, in my opinion, largely be determined by how David and Goliath find a way to accentuate and compliment one another’s best features.

9. Considering Stroome is totally free, do you have some advertising model?

We haven’t ruled anything out. But the key in the growth of any disruptive technology like ours is letting people use it. And the best way to do that is to let them experience the platform for themselves. Fortunately, we have a few partners who are helping us put Stroome in the hands of people like the contributors of News Me Back.

10. Where do you see Stroome in the future?

Clearly you saved the toughest question for last. It’s tough to say. But this much I do know. With a collaborative platform like ours it’s what the community does with Stroome that will shape the future. We’re just the catalyst.

This is a quick video that shows how Stroome works :

Mostly people make distance between themselves and unknown things to them. Normal and almost instinctive reaction. We rather accept familiar things than those new. We even think of some as a taboo.
But reading stories of other ordinary people from countries on the other side of the Planet, countries that you don’t know well enough, will probably reduce resistance because you’ll see similar problems like yours. You’ll see similar news, events and lives.
Of course, you’ll see all those specific stuff which are characteristic for every nation in the world. That’s their tradition, customs and habits.
And during the period of time while we learn something new about some country we find it closer and easier to understand.
It’s no longer distant and mysterious, maybe even dangerous because we have heard some horrific stories on some TV headlines.
We put faces on those people, see their smiles and tears, see them talk and walk like we do, how they pray and work.
And there is that thought.
We are one people of one World.
So I believe that there is a way to get closer.
Considering how citizen journalism has many new members and ordinary journalists who share their ordinary sincere stories, I can see how people really get closer. Citizens who learn and find new ways to speak. Thanks to new technology they get heard. Their news become important.
Because instead of a fake affected smile of some famous or partially famous journalist you see true emotion. You feel tears and horror of Haiti victims, laugh from your heart when something good is done and stay mute over some tragedy.
True emotions. Live. Raw.
I suppose that’s the way.
When we start to feel again and sympathize with real people like ourselves.
Yes, they are not trained professionals and yes, maybe their hands shake while they try to catch some video. And it’s not perfect. But that’s the whole point.
For us to accept that life is a collection of simple, everyday, small and ordinary things.

1) Risks

If you live in undemocratic country then you are certainly affraid and worried for your safety.
People who live in those closed countries know best how dangerous is to write about government and what are the consequences. Meaning of ” eaten by the dark ” is crystal clear to them.
But instead of chasing presidents, senators or criminals, you should write about ordinary things. Leave investigative journalism, crime and high corruption and start searching for some every day events.
Start from little and go towards big.

2) Time

Nowadays we may have almost everything but time. Lack of time is modern disease and main issue everyday.
We always complain how we have not enough time for all our duties and things. Jobs, house, family, hobby, recreation, visits, dating, travel, computer, TV… List is endless. Where to add in that list citizen journalism?
Lets be honest, there is enough time.
If you organize and plan you can always find and make time to realize what you want.
Don’t pressure yourself. Because first great thing regarding citizen journalism is this: do not take it as another obligation, you don’t have to do it everyday.
When you find interesting material, use it.

3) Education

No one will blame you for misspelling few words, because important is to find news and information. Important is to write facts and truth.
Traditional journalists also make mistakes, but they have editors to fix them. Since you are your own editor and if you write in a hurry, then some mistakes are not so dangerous.
Don’t worry, next time will certainly be better because you grow and develop as a person, so you will definitely grow and upgrade yourself as a citizen journalist, too.
Don’t be ashamed of yourself and your education, talent is crucial and final touch in every carrier.

My advice would be : Practice to perfection.