Map your media with this free user-generated news visualisation website. Billed as a service for ‘mobile citizen journalists’, MaYoMo community members include bloggers, journalism students, experienced independent journalists and NGO workers, who submit video news and information from all corners of the world.

Users can either send in videos, or request them about specific events or locations - asking what is happening, when or where. In response, users from the region can report back by providing any information available. MaYoMo not only provides witnesses, reports and comments on news, but also digs the news out right from the place it is happening.

Users can first select various news topics to pinpoint their interests, with channels for anything from politics and sport, to religion, health, art and culture and travel. The next click produces a world map, with dots indicating the latest news within the topic selected through a headline and video thumbnail, which can then be expanded to full view.

The search functionality can be set to indicate particular keywords and dates. Also useful is the Channel’ feature, providing news for example on Afghanistan.

One of the stranger aspects of MaYoMo, is the inclusion in the world map of a ‘virtual continent’ called Virtu. Situated in the mid-Atlantic, Virtu hosts user-generated video news about virtual worlds like Lineage II, Half-Life, World of Warcraft, FIFA, and Second Life. CEO of MaYoMo Hristo Alexiev believes the new geographical addition merely reflects the growing popularity of virtual living.

“The population of virtual worlds is getting bigger - it’s close to the size of Europe. We have to recognise that they have not only use these worlds for the gaming experience, but also share social and political views.”

Published: September 2, 2010