Boolokam is a pioneering citizen journalism portal that was founded in June 2009 in United Kingdom. It is the first blog paper in the Malayalam language, featuring articles, reviews, blogs, and more from Kerala, India, and around the world. Over the years, Boolokam has become the number one citizen journalism portal in India, offering a one-stop solution for Malayalam news and articles.
At Boolokam, members and users write and discuss the news, effectively “making it” themselves. This approach differs from traditional journalism, where a select few individuals control the majority of what is published and read. Boolokam aims to empower the majority and give them a platform to share their voices and perspectives.
Boolokam is a simple tool that allows individuals to upload content such as stories, articles, poetry, cartoons, pictures, notes, and discussions. These contributions can be rated and discussed by the Boolokam community through comments. Boolokam follows a democratic ideology and does not support any particular political or religious group. Instead, it promotes the power of the community and encourages people to love and support each other.
Boolokam is based in the United Kingdom and is committed to publishing the diverse voices and perspectives of its members and users. It believes that the news-making process and its associated viewpoints and opinions should be under the control of many, rather than a few. In other words, Boolokam publishes whatever its members and users post and recommend.
In addition to empowering its members and users to “make the news,” Boolokam also operates on a decentralized model, meaning that it is not controlled by a single entity or organization. This decentralized approach allows for a diverse range of perspectives and voices to be heard, rather than being filtered through a centralized authority.
In today’s digital age, the proliferation of fake news and misinformation can make it challenging to distinguish fact from fiction. A decentralized news content creation and distribution model, like that used by Boolokam, can help mitigate these issues by providing a more diverse range of sources and viewpoints. It allows for greater transparency and accountability in the news-making process, as multiple individuals and organizations are able to contribute and verify the information.
Overall, Boolokam’s decentralized approach to citizen journalism is significant in the current media landscape as it promotes a more inclusive and democratic model of information sharing. It helps to ensure that a wide range of voices and perspectives are heard and considered, rather than being limited to a narrow range of sources.
