NewsParticipation is an online community where citizen journalism is recognized and fostered. The site showcases the work of amateur and professional journalists seeking an open forum for posting news dispatches and commentary. The site is also a vehicle for discussion about critical news topics. It is increasingly common for individual, first-hand accounts of breaking news to be shared online. However, these critical posts and conversations remain scattered across the web. NewsParticipation offers a single site where such works can be published, and where people can access information to educate themselves and each other on a broad range of contemporary issues. The need for citizen journalism has become increasingly urgent. Mainstream media is often too closely tied to special interest