Oil Rig Explosion Speculations... from a Citizen Journalist

http://www.helium.com/items/1822296-possible-north-korea-target-deepwater-horizon-oil-platform

The above link is a blog from Helium.com containing thoughts about the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the Gulf Coast. Some media outlets have been investigating the matter, speculating that the rig was torpedoed by North Korea as an act of war. However, the Obama Administration has issued a news blackout for the U.S. media to prohibit the media from reporting or investigating further details about the situation.

Helium.com is a site where people can contribute what they know about a situation to help form a story or a perspective on a story. Like the process of any newswriting article, journalists take what they know from several different people and form a story from the information given.

While the Obama Administration is working to block any information from the mainstream media, citizen journalists can contribute what they know to help shape a potential story. For instance, the report said after the rig exploded, SWAT teams were dispatched to the scene, which may be a sign of violent activity.

Also, another note of interest is that the rig was built and financed by Hyundai, a South Korean manufacturer and a potential threat to North Korea.

As citizen journalists, this is an example of the collective intelligence we discussed in our presentation. We contribute what we believe or know to help shape the story in a way that an individual could not have done with limited information. We also participate in the participatory culture, because although the contributers have minimum experience, the low artistic barriers of Helium allows them to post what they know, potentially gain feedback, have a venue similar to a mainstream media outlet.