Abstract

Open News Websites combine news, rumours and commentary. These sites involve their users as content contributors and producers, turning them into ‘produsers’ of the site. Open News site produsers are ‘gate watchers’, observing the publication of news and information in other sources and publicising its existence. They apply Open Source principles to the gathering and publication of news and information.

• Dr Axel Bruns lectures in Media & Communication at the Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. He teaches and conducts research about online publishing, electronic creative writing, online communities and popular music. He is general editor of the online academic publication M/C – Media and Culture media-culture.org.au).