Dutch citizen journalism website shuts down

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch website Skoeps, which invites citizens to submit pictures and video clips of breaking news, will shut down after failing to find a sustainable business model, its owners said on Friday.

Such "citizen journalism" sites have become increasingly popular in recent years and have been seen as a possible challenge to the more established publishers.

Many media companies, such as broadcasters CNN and BBC, also ask viewers to submit photos or videos as local people armed with cameras on their mobile phones are often the first on the scene when a major event develops.

"The ambition of the news site was partially successful, but Skoeps did not succeed in developing a financially healthy perspective," the owners, publisher PCM Uitgevers and investment company Talpa Media, said in a statement.

Nobody at the two companies was immediately available to comment further.

Skoeps -- the name is a play on the English word "scoop" -- received 1,000 to 1,500 submissions per month, the companies said.

(Reporting by Niclas Mika; editing by Rory Channing)

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