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May 14, 2012updated 14 Sep 2012 3:31pm

Citizen journalists could be paid under Northcliffe deal

By Andrew Pugh

Readers could be paid for submitting content to Northcliffe Digital websites after the company announced a tie-up with the 'video news social network'Newsflare.

Northcliffe said the deal means 'anyone with a camera in their hand could see their video – whether breaking news or a record of a community event – featured online and get paid for their efforts".

The arrangement allows journalists at Northcliffe to source breaking video content captured by Newsfalre members, and the ability to request specific content from users via 'Newsflare Assignments".

Northcliffe said these "geographically-targeted assignments" will appear on the Newsflare site and will also be sent via an iPhone app to members in the relevant area.

Regional newspaper rival Archant launched a community news platform called iwitness24 in January which allows readers to submit photos, stories and videos direct to its newsrooms across the UK.

The scheme also offers cash rewards for users and a similar 'Calls for Witnesses'tool allowing Archant to send geo-targetted news alerts to members.

Announcing the deal, Northcliffe Digital general manager Lee Williams said: 'We are excited to be working with an innovative company like Newsflare, to drive the video revolution and reward quality citizen journalism.

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"Our This Is regional portals and our hyperlocal community websites LocalPeople.co.uk already include more than 100,000 contributions each month from our users. We have a number of initiatives to drive great local video content."

The managing director of Newsflare, Jon Cornwell, added: "The Newsflare platform has been designed specifically to meet the video needs of news organisations such as Northcliffe Digital.

"We are very excited about engaging our community of reporters to provide Northcliffe with cost-effective video for their publications."

The network of sites operated by Northcliffe Digital, part of the Daily Mail and General Trust, has a monthly audience of more than six million unique visitors, according to the company.

Newsflare will initially support video news gathering for five of its This Is sites including This Is Kent.

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