Robynoratocom’s NewsCloud Journal

Since its launch in June 2006, Orato.com has given more than 4200 correspondents worldwide a platform in which to tell their stories. Recently recognized as one of the top 12 news websites in the world by the 2008 Webby Awards (which have been called the Oscars of the Internet by the New York Times), Orato.com has attracted up to 100,000 visitors in one day. 

Experience has taught us that the most compelling stories are written in the words of those who experience or witness an event. And so Orato.com is now paying for true, timely stories written through the eyes of those who were ‘there’! It’s our aim to become the world’s leader in unprejudiced, 1^st person story-telling. Building on an annual audience of nearly 4 million visitors, we are taking Orato.com to a whole new level by paying for 1^st person, human interest stories – stories which grip the emotions, challenge reality, and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.

We want to be a competitive option for anyone with a great human-interest story to tell, and we are giving our correspondents a number of opportunities to earn money. In addition to selling the story directly to Orato.com, correspondents can benefit from a ‘tipping’ function that allows visitors to tip the author. 

As a multi-media platform we put a lot of value on video footage, audio recordings and photos which complement a story. The more compelling the story, the more we’ll pay. If you have a personal connection to an event that’s breaking headlines or an extraordinary event that begs a global audience, send your true human-interest story idea to Orato Pitch  

I can’t imagine what it would be like living in Gaza, Israel, Palestine… what do I call it? This woman writes about the recent ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel:

“After so many years of kasams, the Gaza ceasefire (or ‘relaxation,’ if I translate directly from Hebrew) is a surprise. We hear a lot of empty words, a lot of threats, and a lot of confusion from our leaders.”

Read her full statement here: An Israeli’s Take On The Hamas-Israel “Ceasefire”

Gazan blogger Heba Z took a break from writing because she was starting to lose faith that it would change anything, and in her words, no one was listening anyway. It was a simple cup of coffee restored her faith in humanity. Read her story - and let her know you’re listening.

Read the full story