BrooWaha
BrooWaha is an online citizen newspaper with a focus on local news.[1] The articles published on the website are written exclusively by its users.
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Type of site | Web publishing |
|---|---|
| Owner | BrooWaha LLC |
| Created by | BrooWaha LLC |
| CEO | Amit Kumawat |
| Employees | 25 |
| URL | http://www.broowaha.com/ |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | September 2006 |
Several local editions of BrooWaha have been launched for a number of major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and very recently Atlanta, Houston and Miami. The content of all these editions is aggregated in the main BrooWaha website.
The website was featured in the Los Angeles Times in December 2006.[2]
Features
Articles
BrooWaha registered users have access to the website's writing interface. This feature lets users draft an article, attach a picture to it and submit it to the editors. Articles are usually published within 24 hours. In addition to the basic formatting options offered to all users, contributors who have reached a certain level of popularity have also the ability to link to other websites and even embed YouTube videos in their articles.
Editors
The role of the editors at BrooWaha is very limited and namely consists in verifying that the articles submitted do not contain spam, racism or porn.[2] The site was edited by David Cohn from 2008 until 2011.
Comments
Comments are a very popular feature of BrooWaha. It is customary to see discussion starting between the article's author and the readers in the comment section. In addition to voting for articles, readers can also rate comments to encourage constructive discussions.
Popularity
Depending on the frequency of their contribution and how well their articles are received, BrooWaha users earn 'popularity points'. These points affect the weight they have in the organization of the newspaper. Users with high popularity have their articles displayed more prominently in the website and have more impact when they vote on other authors' articles.
Friends
BrooWaha users can add their favorite authors as friends on the website and be notified by email whenever they publish a new article.
BrooWaha Cafe
Each BrooWaha edition features a chatroom called the BrooWaha Cafe where users chat about various topics ranging from the pure gossip to the latest local news.
Notes
- Interview with founder, FishBowlLA Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Los Angeles Times article, archived
Further reading
- Saar, Mayrav (December 20, 2006). "Reporting's mass appeal; Amateurs working as journalists are giving rise to a new wave of 'citizen newspapers.' Results are mixed". Los Angeles Times. p. E.3.
