This weekend, MSNBC announced the purchase of Seattle-based Newsvine [msnbc]. If you’ve never visited Newsvine, this is how they describe themselves:

At Newsvine, you can read stories from established media organizations like the Associated Press, ESPN, and New Scientist as well as individual contributors from all around the world. Placement of stories is determined by a multitude of factors including freshness, popularity, and reputation. Contribution is open to all, and editorial judgment is in the hands of the community.

Basically, Newsvine lets its users determine what should be news. For the most part, it’s a model that is surprisingly devoid of the sensational and salacious. For many of its members, the website has been about taking the news back from the mainstream media. Highfalutin phrases like the “democratization of news” are bandied about with regularity. The reaction to the acquisition from Newsvine members is understandably mixed. Some view it as validation that their work is important. Others fear their new corporate overlords and the implicit association with pundits like Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann.

The official line from Newsvine suggests excitement about the potential to reach a much wider audience (not to mention a nice payday). Newsvine, for the time being at least, will continue to operate independently from MSNBC. But look for MSNBC to find ways to incorporate Newsvine’s web technology in the not too distant future.

MSNBC Executive Producer Rex Sorgatz had this (among other things) to say about the acquisition and the news media in general:

This is certainly not breaking news, but the media industry is hemorrhaging. As the differences between “big” and “small” media continue to crumble, I cling to the corny, nostalgic philosophy that mainstream news is still a crucial part of democracy, binding us together in ineffable ways. If you’ve ever worked for a big media company, you know this is not an easy philosophy to maintain. You get bitter, you get depressed, you drink a lot, you have an infinite string of two-month relationships (ahem).

I think Rex is right. But I also think that the mainstream news has been falling flat on its face for the past 7 years with regard to its obligation to democracy. It will be interesting to see whether the tail wags the dog and the acquisition of Newsvine helps to re-establish the mainstream media’s (or at least MSNBC’s) role as an enabler of democracy.