The PlugIn app: How it works

Want to know how to navigate the PlugIn app powered by VNN? Read on for in-depth information. USERS The Verified News Network is broken down into four user (source) categories: staff, official, expert and citizen. Staff: Currently, VNN employs one paid staff member, founder journalist Brittany Harlow. Harlow gathers content from verified sources and covers news locally, statewide and nationwide. Official: VNN gets news content from multiple official sources like law enforcement and other government organizations. Content is uploaded by staff on behalf of officials after being obtained from official websites, social media accounts and press releases. It is the goal of VNN to have officials eventually upload on behalf of their own accounts. (Most are reluctant as to not show favoritism to our news network, though we are also a social media network.) Expert: Doctors, counselors and business owners are just some of the experts VNN wants to get on board with the PlugIn app. Once an expert account is established, the user will be able to share expert content matter and opinion on a variety of news stories. Citizen: Citizens drive the news process in the 21st century. Users in the citizen category will determine the kinds of news that are most popular in the network. Citizens who want to contribute to the news process can upload photos, videos and news stories as they are happening, in addition to sharing their opinions. PERSONALIZATION With the PlugIn app powered by VNN, users are able to customize the kinds of news they see everyday. News categories are broken down into two subcategories: source (also known as outlets) and content (also known as wires). The default “Latest News” feed cannot be deleted, but can be customized in the Menu section to remove news categories a user does not want to see or subscribe to news categories a user wants to see. Users can also select up to seven additional news feed tabs of content, making their favorite kinds of content easily accessible. PROFILE PAGE The user profile page is a way for people to share their photo and bio with other users. Stories and opinions a user has posted will show up on their profile page. Down the road, the user profile page will act as a “traffic area” to let users see where their news story is at in the approval process. MODERATION One of the main differences between the PlugIn app powered by VNN and other media applications is its moderation process. Other social media apps focus primarily on social interaction, whereas PlugIn focuses solely on news. That’s why PlugIn was built from the ground up to moderate content for accuracy and newsworthiness. Users are encouraged to act as fact-checkers on network content. For staff, this is one of their top responsibilities. AI technology is also in place to filter profanity, nudity and other graphic content. TESTING PlugIn powered by VNN will be tested in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, market from 2018-2019 before rolling out nationwide. Please email any issues you encounter with the app to bharlow@verifiednews.network