How to Join – Find Stuff, Share Stuff, Win Stuff

Every month, the contributor with the “Most Popular Post”* will win an Apple iPod. The next two runner ups will receive $20 gift certificates to the Apple iTunes Store.

Who? What if Huffington Post or the Drudge Report were a collaborative news blog? Well, that’s us, Buzz Newsroom; reporting what the Internet is buzzing about. Real people pick related stories, a news mashup. Share and comment on latest trends, videos or images. Be seen!

Join? Go to the Homepage or right navigation and click “Join Now.” If you’re an existing Facebook user, it’s one-click super-easy – go to the Homepage or right navigation and click “Connect with Facebook.” Really, it’s easy.

How? We use the awesome Wordpress software platform to power Buzz Newsroom. After you’ve created an account or logged in with Facebook — click on Login. From there, you can create a post or comment. It’s relatively easy, but go ahead and try out a test post — it will not be published live.

What’s my publishing status? Why aren’t my posts being published live? Once you Join — you’re a Buzz Newsroom Contributor. All posts are reviewed by our Editors before going live on the site. Once you become a trusted member of Buzz Newsroom, your status can be upgraded to Buzz Newsroom Author. That means your posts will be published live without review. Regardless if you’re a Contributor or Author — you’re eligible to win if your post is selected as “Most Popular.”

What’s a news mashup? You can create your own original commentary or article, or, create a post related to a news story or trend. Instead of having just one POV, include a few – a snippet from CNN, Fox and NPR – with links to the official stories. Provide a 360 degree view on the topic; include a related photo or YouTube video. Add in your own commentary or 2 cents. And always give credit where credit is due. If you heard about the story via Digg, please note that (ex: from CNN Via Fark)

Here’s some examples Apple iPhones coming to Wal-Mart | Mickey Rourke to Join Iron Man | Latest on Watchmen Ruling…

What else? Everyone owns their own content. If you create an original post, you own it. If it is a post that features snippets from multiple sources, the related content belongs to the respective owner We believe in open source and open blogging. If you want to take a more active roll in approving stories, please drop us a line. Have fun and respect fellow contributors.

* The Most Popular Post will be decided by Google Analytics.