Readers of the New York Times have been sending in their photos of the credit crunch in a collaborative project labeled Picturing the Recession.
The online gallery creatively allows people to submit their own images in a win-win situation for the publication and its readers. Not only do readers feel they are contributing first-hand and receiving recognition for their photography, but the New York Times saves heavily on big bucks it would otherwise spend on professional photographers out in the field.
Images in the gallery are from category topics Business, Family, Home, Sacrifice, Transportation and Work. They include pictures from the New York Subway, Saudi Arabia, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Florida, Transylvania, London, Oregon,
Crowdsourced News Photography
New York Times Readers Picture The Recession in Photos
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourced Photography - Exploring the potential of crowdsourcing photography beyond journalism to enable businesses to source images quickly and inexpensively.
2. Collaborative News Projects - Increasing the engagement of the audience to create more collaborative news projects that reflect a larger variety of perspectives and stories.
3. UGC Galleries - The rise of user-generated content galleries as a way to build a strong network of contributors and encourage audience engagement.
Industry Implications
1. Media - Crowdsourced journalism offers a unique opportunity for traditional media outlets to reduce costs and build a more engaged audience.
2. Marketing - Businesses can leverage crowdsourced photography to save costs on commissioning photo shoots and build a more authentic representation of their brand.
3. Travel - The travel industry could benefit from crowdsourced imagery galleries to showcase unique destinations and experiences from a variety of travelers' perspectives.