The real people's TV

 
Internet Plebstv gives amateur journalists a platform. So far, the enthusiasm has been limited. 
When the Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten in Zurich burned down on November 15, Manuela W. happened to be there. The high school student took photos of the firefighting work with her cell phone. A short time later, her photos were published on the website of a free newspaper. Many other eyewitnesses followed Manuela's example and sent their pictures to local newsrooms. However, the snapshots were not published, much to the regret of the self-proclaimed amateur reporters. However, there is another way for them to capture such events in sound and image for a wider audience - it's called Plebstv (www.plebstv.com). The internet portal is intended for citizen journalists. Users can upload reports to the platform in the form of texts, photo galleries and videos. Unlike on conventional video platforms such as YouTube, the contributions are linked on a map. Flags mark the news on the news atlas. According to its own description, Plebstv aims to democratize reporting and develop into the largest infotainment portal in the world.
Slow startWhile the creators of Plebstv want to revolutionize journalism, Internet users are still very passive towards the new platform. To date, several hundred people have added their profile, but only 300 amateur journalists have written articles since the launch in September. The site is predominantly filled with professional material from the Reuters news agency; user-generated content remains rare. Only occasionally do users see a shaky cell phone video or a short photo series.
In order to increase the quality and number of contributions, Plebstv has been remunerating home video producers since the beginning of November. The portal pays one euro per video contribution, which must be at least 30 seconds long. Texts or a commented picture series are also rewarded. If a user can convince others to upload content to the site, Plebs pays 25 cents for each confirmed contact. Despite this remuneration system, the portal still lacks citizen reporters. Even the bloggers, amateur journalists in their purest form, are very reticent about the news forum. Only a few people in the blogosphere read about the project. Enthusiasm for the portal is limited.
Although only a few amateur journalists have come together on Plebstv, the initiators are firmly convinced of the idea of such a platform. Not because YouTube-like services are currently booming, but because the local news offering serves an unoccupied niche.
 
Plebstv media spokeswoman Sandrine Haas says: "We all know exactly what is happening in Afghanistan. But we often know too little about events in the immediate vicinity." Journalism professor Jay Rosen from New York sees a lack of information in local reporting: "Large newspapers cannot provide the hyperlocal journalism that readers demand. They want to know what's going on in their neighborhood."
In order to further develop the website, the creators of Plebstv want to open up the platform to advertisers. Sandrine Haas does not yet want to say anything specific about the form in which advertising can be placed in future. "We are testing various concepts. None are ready to go yet." The team is currently working on community building. The creators are aiming for a 40,000-strong community by the middle of next year. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland. If things go well, they want to expand to Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries.
In order to reach the target number of citizen journalists, the Plebstv team is out and about on the streets of major German-speaking cities. Potential members are also being mobilized at Zurich main station, for example. Street castings will be held until mid-December. Anyone who takes part will be interviewed by a team on internet-related topics and filmed in the process. The Plebstv community will later select the best contribution.
However, young people in Zurich are reluctant to engage with the portal. It can take hours to find participants willing to provide information. Sandrine Haas, however, is determined: "We are completely convinced of our idea."
Christian Lüscher
Ambitious, but only in the beta phaseAbout the founders of Plebstv
almost nothing is known. Sandrine Haas: "The creative minds behind the project want to remain unknown." The company is based in the British Virgin Islands (USA). However, the internet platform is being realized by the Swiss company Starnet Media, based in Thalwil. Plebstv is currently still in a beta phase. A more advanced version is due to be launched in the first quarter of 2008. For example, IP address recognition will enable local access. The portal automatically recognizes the user's location and loads the corresponding map with the news. (lü)