A friendly PR dropped me a DM on Twitter earlier this morning informing me that CNN have just launched a free version of their iPhone app for the European market today.

The new CNN International app offers an array of features to check international and local news on the go including:

Headlines: The first you’ll see on the iPhone app is the headline welcome screen. You can sift through news by top stories and by continent (USA, Europe, Asia, Africa), and the stories can be shared through Facebook, Twitter, and email. If a certain topic/article is of interest you can ‘follow’ topics/stories, you’ll receive push alerts when that story is updated.

Each story features a picture and a couple of bullet points explaining what the story is about, followed by the news article, making it easy to read on the iPhone’s small screen.

My CNN: With my CNN, you can easily subscribe to topics you’re interested in. You can also “save” stories you want to read later, better still, you don’t even need need a connection to read saved stories! Perfect when you’re travelling on the Tube!

Video: CNN’s website features lots of videos, so does the app! You can watch on-demand clips related to breaking news directly from your phone.

iReport: This is by far my favourite feature which I believe to be a total game-changer. iReport is CNN’s user-generated citizen journalism initiative, where everyday citizens can upload photos, videos, and stories about events happening near them. Some of it is even used on CNN’s news coverage.

I was also given the opportunity to interview Louis Gump, Vice President of CNN Mobile responsible for managing CNN’s mobile business in the USA.

Please note, that this is not a word for word transcript, but a summary of our conversation.

LB: What was the rationale behind creating the app?

Louis Gump: UK consumers, are increasingly accessing information from their mobiles, and there was a clear need to also offer them tailored content, which is what the app offers via the MyCNN feature.  It’s not just a marketing exercise; there are ads on the app, so it’s also an extra revenue model for us.

LB: How do you sift through the information send through by your iReporters?

Louis Gump: We currently have more than 500,000 eye reporters. We have a whole team working on double-checking and validating the information sent through by our iReporters, which is a substantial operation. The content we receive complements our own reporting.

There was for instance a firefighter who sent through some information during the DeepWater Horizon Explosion. We didn’t have a reporter on site at the time, but it sent through some information as the tragedy unfolded.

LB: How are mobiles changing the way consumer use news?

Louis Gump: I believe that the use of mobiles is the biggest shift in consumer behavior I’ve seen in years. The screens are smaller so people have started using applications to access the information they need. There is an increasing consumer demand for apps and content providers, such as ourselves, are meeting this demand.

Apps require creativity and innovation as they are very different from any other platforms out there and need to be treated differently. For instance, we present news in a way that allows consumers to sift through stories, and quickly move onto the next one.

Verdict: The app is a must have and can be downloaded right here. It’s the first news app I install on my device, and I am very much looking forward to finally being able to read news on the go.