It could be very useful, but if experience tells me anything, it's that getting students to actively use an online (learning) platform of some kind is like pulling teeth. There'd be a considerable amount of feet dragging and gnashing of teeth if it were required to post articles. Just ask students who've had to post in a class forum for discussions. Many just phone it in.
That said, it could work well for students who are very engaged. Or maybe better as a department-wide thing. (That way there are more genuinely-interested students using it. Critical mass and such.)
One thing to consider is how casual Facebook/Twitter sharing, etc. among classmates fills this role to a small extent.