MSNBC.com said it has acquired Newsvine Inc., a Seattle based Web firm that operates Newsvine.com, a community-based news aggregator.

Newsvine is one of a growing number of social news sites, such as the popular Digg.com, where gatherings of passionate news junkies post stories and vote in some fashion to determine which stories receive the most coverage and links. According to the Newsvine homepage, the site aims to be "an instant reflection of what the world is talking about at any given moment."