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What is Yoosk?
The world wide web of citizen reporters
Our vision is for Yoosk to become the world’s biggest interactive global citizens’ news and gossip co-zine- collaborative magazine. One in which every one of our members worldwide can play a part in asking the questions and commenting on the answers that make up the content. Your questions will have the support of the many, not the few, because you can collaborate with your Yoosk friends and fellow members to build support.
What is the thinking behind it?
The right to ask questions of public figures is a fundamental right for all
Yoosk allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to ask a question of a public figure and to join forces with others to make sure their question is answered. And when the question is answered for you to have the chance to say what you think of the response. We believe that everyone has the right to ask questions and give feedback on the answer and that this right is universal-not just limited to professional journalists.
Globalisation means global accountability
World leaders, celebrities and business people take far reaching decisions, say things and behave in ways that have an impact beyond their own national boundaries. Yoosk believes that everyone, wherever they live, has the right to ask these people questions and through our answer rating feature, to tell them if they are not happy with their answer.
Worldwide and local
Yoosk is both global and local, with questions aimed at local movers and shakers as well as world famous statesmen and celebrities.
Serious and fun
It doesn’t matter if the public figure you ask is a politician running for office, a Hollywood celebrity or a local stand up comedian. Any question on any topic is allowed as long as it meets agreed standards of journalistic ethics.
Who will ask the questions?
Anyone: news junkies, political activists, couch potato talk show aficionados, celebrity watchers, floating voters, local activists, Times of London letter writers, disempowered employees, single-issue campaigners, royalists, republicans, rebels, the rising stars of ‘developing’ countries, members of the silent majority and even the moral majority. We simply pass the questions on to them on your behalf.
Who will answer them?
Public figures and famous and influential people everywhere.
How do you decide which questions you send to the public figures?
We don’t- you do by voting for what you think are the best questions (by clicking on the Yoosk button). Every few days we will send every question that has acquired the support of a lot of members to the famous person you are asking and to their agent and /or spokesperson, politely asking for a reply on behalf of you and other members (politeness is a key element of our site- hence, the question form: ‘I would like to ask’).We’ll also send it to talk show hosts and other journalists to try to get it asked. As the tally for a question increases, so will the pressure on the famous people being asked!
How will you get the answers to Yoosk members’ questions?
When we decide a question has enough support, we will either contact the person being asked directly, or through their agent and spokesperson, and tell them how many of our members want to know the answer. We’ll also track each public figure’s appearance on TV and radio chat and news programmes and do our best to get these questions asked by the hosts. If any professional or amateur journalists choose to ask questions from the Yoosk site of a subject, then we will welcome them sending in the answers, although naturally, all answers will be properly researched to ensure they are genuine.
When trying to get for replies will we take no for an answer?
We will take silence for an answer and our members will interpret it as they wish.
Are there limits to the questions I can ask?
There is a numerical limit of 50 and a boundary of taste and ethics. Your joining the site signals your acceptance of these standards and we reserve the right to take off any question that crosses these boundaries
How long will my question stay on Yoosk if it is not answered?
Your question’s tally will need to increase by a fixed number every week to stay on Yoosk. This ‘Darwinian’ principle means that only the fittest and best questions will survive to be asked.
What plans do you have for Yoosk?
We aim to have sites in different languages for a number of countries ready very soon.
We also aim to collect questions into larger scale interviews which we will be available to download as podcasts. We have many other features planned….
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