News cred is a website that can give you this opportunity to create an actual online newspaper; where you can pick your editorial- features stories and articles from news sources such as BBC, Reuters and CNN.
The first step into creating an online newspaper is by creating an account where you write a name for your newspaper, then write all your personal information, divide the newspaper into what is important to you, from local news to international news and then social events. Then the third step leads you into choosing the network where you can display the newspaper and get connected with thousands of people who created newspapers that discuss same topics.
For example, when you create your newspaper, you will get `the chance to select the network, the city you are living in and you wish to see stories about. Many journalism students are using this method as a way to practice their major and apply some of the methods they studied at college.
When you open the account, your page will be divided into several sections, the one on the right will let you decide what type of news you want to write about, pick the best news that are related to your newspaper. There is a link where you can search for other newspapers that have common interest with you; also there is a special bar that allows you get latest news online from very important sources, such as CNN, Reuters, The Guardian and many more.
As it’s mentioned once you created that name and URL of the newspaper, you will be guided by a help wizard, and inside the wizard you can pick subjects that anyone is interested in including you. The topics are categorized to help you get what you want in a short time.
After that you can share your newspaper by writing emails of your friends and people you want to share your newspaper with.
News cred allows anyone to create the newspaper, write his or her editorials, pick subjects and news that are related to them and any one can read the newspaper by clicking follow link which provides any ne to stay updated with your newspaper.
Of course the design, theme color, font and all the design outlets can be changed through the owner of the newspaper.
Considering Kuwait network, some students are majoring media communications at Kuwait University used this method to apply what they are studying and create for themselves a space where they can express their opinion and apply their knowledge through experience.
One of these students is Ahmad Gallaf who created a newspaper that is called “Kuwait now” that allows all students to stay up to date with local news, share their common interest regarding any topic presented and write what they want, by expressing their opinion either in religion, politics or culture.
Another newspaper called “Kuwait city times” owned by a young student refused to mention her name. She is a student at AUK; her passion for journalism helped her doing what she wants by establishing her own private free economic magazine that deals with all latest news in economy status in Kuwait.
Another student her name is Natasha who is Lebanese created a newspaper called out of the blue where she actually invented a new type of blogs where can she writes stories about relations of Lebanon and Kuwait, or any relations between Arab countries. Plus she writes personal editorials regarding any topic; like the gulf summit, the Lebanese-Kuwaiti relations in politics, culture or economy.
It’s a great way to strengthen this bond and let everyone knows about it,” said Natasha.
A teacher (refused to mention his name )who is working in a public school talked about this website and said,” I think that this website might be double edged weapon, it can be something good however it can also be a very harmful tool.” He also said that young journalists can have a window to express themselves and to expose their raw talents they can have their thoughts, ideas, and opinions published. However, it will also be a place for anyone that poses as a journalist to post anything he/she likes where ideas are biased and might even create problems and conflicts although freedom of thought and expression is very important sites like this would pose a great threat to safety and security in this modern world where opinions and thoughts are very diverse and different .Yet still, with moderators and unbiased editors, a website like this can be a great tool for young journalists to grow as professionals as for the plagiarism aspect of the matter, I don’t think that’s at this time and age any one can control it anymore.There are websites that can tell you if something published was plagiarized or not so, this issue can be controlled and solved.
