Good idea? RYOT encourages activism after reading the news

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL July 26, 2013
RYOT's Make a Difference box on each story encourages activism

RYOT’s Make a Difference box on each story encourages activism

Ever notice the way young people respond to a news story? They consume it and then want to do something about it.

Enter RYOT. A beguiling idea. Both for consumers and producers of news.

It combines breaking news with activism, allowing the consumer to respond and contribute  in real time.

As the Daily Beast reported, it emerged out of an idea that came late last October to Bryn Mooser and David Darg. They wanted an “outlet for news-minded and socially concerned citizens and the result was a site covering breaking news that offers tailored ways to get involved with each article, or, as they put it, ‘Become the news!’”

Each reported item features a “Make a Difference” box, to allow readers (and do-ers) to donate, volunteer, or sign a petition.

RYOT view itself as a mix of action-taking sites like Change.org, CNN-style hard news, cause-based news like Huffington Post Impact, and millennial sites BuzzFeed and Vice. The one-stop-shop structure gives it a distinction from other sites–avoiding becoming interchangeable is a novelty in the regurgitated feel of online news.

News activism isn’t a new idea. But the straightforward integration is.

Is it a good idea? That’s the question.