OSMTM (Open Source Media), a new online venture designed to bring together top online writers, journalists and commentators under a single umbrella, officially debuts today at a New York City launch event that features a discussion on the future of blogging and journalism, details on the company's content and the official launch of the new portal to the best of the blogosphere.

The Jawa Report is one of 70 top blogs now a part of Open Source Media.

Today's launch event will include comments by Instapundit blogger Glenn Reynolds and Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author Judith Miller, who will discuss the "Shield Law" bill currently before Congress and broader issues facing bloggers and journalists alike.

The launch will be broadcast live at 10:00 a.m. (ET) and can be heard via Windows Media here or via Real Audio here.

Other speakers will include David Corn (The Nation), Larry Kudlow (CNBC's "Kudlow & Company"), John Podhoretz (The New York Post) and Claudia Rosett (contributor to The Wall Street Journal), all of whom are noted bloggers and members of the Open Source Media Editorial Board, plus an appearance via audiocast by the noted Baghdad bloggers Iraq the Model.

Founded last year under the Pajamas Media name, OSM has been one of 2005's most widely-discussed new blogging developments, due both to the scope of its vision and the support it's drawn from respected mainstream media journalists and bloggers.

Today, Open Source Media will detail its plan to become the new meeting ground for thoughtful opinion and news online, and a unique home for the growing movement of citizen journalism that will include important webloggers from across the world with mainstream media journalists sympathetic to its goals.

"Our most important goal is openness via the free and respectful exchange of ideas expressed through citizen journalists, coupled with a dedication to honesty and the truth," said co-founder, noted screenwriter and blogger Roger L. Simon. "When we talk about citizen journalism, we mean journalism not created by elites, as in the 'top-down' traditional media, but from the 'bottom-up,' by citizens using their observations and knowledge, informed by a desire to speak honestly. Citizen journalism at its best means the pursuit of the truth above all things, above partisanship or the financial interests of the medium publishing it."

Today's announcement comes as the blogosphere maintains staggering growth. According to a January 2005 report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, blog readership increased by nearly 60 percent in 2004 to approximately 27 percent of all Internet users. More recently, analysis by the Newspaper Association of America found that the average weekday circulation of U.S. newspapers is continuing to decline, falling 2.6 per cent over the six month-period ending in September 2005. But, while cognizant of these trends, Open Source Media's vision remains one of evolution and cooperation.

Open Source Media currently features content from more than 70 bloggers worldwide, primarily focused on political and current events. However, the goal is to expand its scope to eventually include all forms of coverage, from local news to pop culture to sports, fashion, food, hobbies and more. Advising the company and its bloggers is an Open Source Media Editorial Board that includes Reynolds, Corn, Kudlow, Rosett, Michael Barone and 10 other noted journalists and bloggers announced on October 17.

Today's event will take place at The Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be audiocast live beginning at 10 a.m.

BEGINNING AT 10:00 AM EASTERN: STREAM LIVE AUDIO WITH WINDOWS MEDIA OR REAL MEDIA

Compiled from OSMTM and other sources.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:30 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 612 words, total size 4 kb.