Ian Somerhalder Is Helping Millennials Engage With the News +Follow

Reading news stories about Grumpy Cat and Miley Cyrus can now be a charitable cause, thanks to Ryot News and actor Ian Somerhalder.

The social startup is working to engage its readers so that breaking news — and even viral cat and celebrity content — can directly lead to a rise in social activism.

They call it "becoming the news."

Ryot works very similarly to any news blog, posting content created by its own reporters and citizen journalists, and aggregating articles from the Associated Press and Reuters, explained Ryot's founders David Darg and Bryn Mooser at Mashable's Social Good Summit.

The difference between Ryot and a traditional journalism outlet, though, comes with its push of social causes. Each story leads to an "action box," prompting readers to sign petitions, donate money or simply send a tweet regarding the issues mentioned in the article. For instance, a story on a Kenyan terrorist attack suggests readers donate to the Kenyan Red Cross.

A percentage of ad revenue from the site's traffic also goes to a weekly featured non-profit.

"It's hard to get people interested in wells in Ghana," Darg said. "So we flip it on its head, and we harness news and what people are interested in today, and then back flow to the causes."

Mooser adds that while other news networks have a "one-way flow" that leaves you feeling helpless and angry after reading stories, Ryot tries to capitalize on those emotions for a purpose.

Somerhalder's contribution to Ryot comes with his his extensive social media reach. He boasts more than four million Twitter followers, the bulk of which are Millennials — a group he holds in high regard.

"[Millennials] are an impressive generation," Somerhalder said. "They don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk."

Somerhalder also said he feels a responsibility to call people to action, relaying information and articles that resonate with him, using the social network he's sustained from his profession.

"If you have a microphone that's plugged into an amplifier, it's wrong of you not to sing," Somerhalder said.

The Social Good Summit is where big ideas meet new media to create innovative solutions and is brought to you by Mashable, The 92nd Street Y, The United Nations Foundation, The United Nations Development Programme, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Ericsson. Held during U.N. Week, the Social Good Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges.

Date: Sept. 22 through Sept. 24
Time: 12 to 6 p.m. each day
Location: 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y.
Tickets are sold-out, but tune into the Livestream.

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Ian Somerhalder Is Helping Millennials Engage With the News