It’s web 2.0 for news. msnbc.con launched the first salvo today by publishing a “[1] photosynth” of an Obama stop. Unlike traditional photosynth, it is an aggregation of images by one photographer and it sorts of defeats the purpose of the technology. A real one would have included thousands of images taken from different angles at different times. But the idea, and the effort is there.[2]

Cnn.com, not to be outdone, is planning one for the inauguation. It is asking its users to send their images so they can be mashed up into a giant photosynth. Maybe they will pull out some images of Flickr. The result, should it be vastly followed, could be very interresting.

[3]

Albeit still in reasearch mode, this is the first time, in my knowledge, that a major news outlet will be using user generated content to create an exclusive rendition of a news event. It beats anything an agency can provide and will have some unexpected results. Furthermore, it will entice spectators to be actors in informing the world of a specific historical event.

It was we said all along, photojournalism is not dying, it is just evolving..

Update : MSNBC.com posted a photosynth made of [4] wire service images and a couple of hired guns… Its the “non social” version of social journalism.