LA Times to Test "Wikitorials"

Now that newspapers and other mainstream media are incorporating blogs into their offerings, testing wikis would seem to be the next logical step.

In announcing several editorial and technical changes, the Los Angeles Times has stated plans to launch "wikitorials" that will presumably use wiki technology to allow readers to re-write the Times' editorials. No further plans were made public, though the Times plans a more formal announcement next week.

At best, it's likely that allowing readers to edit content through a wiki will be a trial-and-error process. Will there be limits? And if so, what? Could a person or group "hijack" a piece of content, blocking others' attempts to edit it? The possibilities are endless... and it will be interesting to see whether wikis and the MSM are a good fit.

UPDATE (6/21/05): The L.A. Times suspended its wikitorials after some people abused them by posting foul language and pornographic photos. Though some have said they saw this coming, others praised the paper for taking a risk and experimenting with a new technology.

Source: Dan Gillmor