Got video? Current TV website a venue for grassroots journos

Current TV, launched by former vice president Al Gore in the beginning of August, is the hippest way for citizen journalists to move from the Web to TV. It is "an open forum for ideas" that "capitalizes on advancing technology," said Sarah Gore, Al Gore’s daughter and a volunteer at Current TV.

The interactive nature of the project has a huge potential to change the media scene, Gore said, particularly if the targeted 18-34 demographic gets involved. "The intent is to expand the opportunities for more people to tell their stories," she added. "Hopefully, [Current TV] will help raise the quality of journalism on the whole."

This "open forum" is open to anyone with a camera and Internet access. Stories have to be short (hardly any run over 8 minutes) and non-fiction, but otherwise, there are no restrictions. Current’s Web site has directions that are helpful for those with no experience and cover topics such as choosing the right equipment, compressing files for submission and signing legal release forms.

Stories are uploaded and submitted into one of three broad categories including Current Journalism, Pods or Labs. Once a story is submitted, it is posted in the screening room as a "pod" where online users view them and "greenlight" the ones they like. Those with enough greenlights get broadcast on TV.

"The news media at this point has been built on the idea that you need a cameraman and a big crew … and having this outlet will encourage more people to experiment who may not have before," Gore said.

Current TV uses fact checkers as part of their screening process, but they also rely on viewers and the community of Internet users to police themselves. "Overall, people who are picking the content are really mindful of not picking anything offensive or untrue," Gore said. "The public at large does a good job at investigating things on their own."

The most common misconception about the new network is that it is a counter to Fox News, but Gore insisted this is not the case: "People who watch Current already see that there is no slant. [My father’s] great hope is that Current becomes an open forum for ideas … conservative or liberal."

Al Gore is currently the chairman of Current TV. Although he has some journalism experience, television is a new venture for him.

"My dad was instrumental in getting [Current TV] started, but he is very mindful that he doesn’t have experience in television. He’s stepping back to let people who have experience make this network happen," Sarah Gore explained.