Over at my personal blog I wrote a post: Social Bookmarking for Journalists: 101.

I bring it up here because there is one more aspect of social news sites that I left out in that post - which is more of an introduction to the utility of those sites.

Social news sites represent a possibility - the potential for readers and journalists to work together in a very friendly and easy exchange. Social news sites are a direct application of the wisdom of the crowds towards journalism.

Jay Rosen has been an advocate of engaging citizens in journalism since…. before the term “citizen journalism” was even around. When we first met one of the best examples I could show him, to prove I understood about the relationship between journalist and readers changing was my activity on social news sites like Digg.

I don’t approach Propeller and Digg and other social news sites simply a way to kill time - It’s a way for me to provide helpful information to people and to get feedback on what people are interested in. That’s why I have followed the space so closely since starting at NewAssignment.net: they represent a the potential that is innate when media producers and consumers have an easy way to interact.