The web has indeed shaped and changed the future of journalism. The Internet has reinvented our means of communication that has created bloggers and citizen journalists whose influence may be even greater and far-reaching than traditional media channels. The Internet has also changed and dismissed our notions of conventional reporting methods and we are free from the clutches of those few powerful "gatekeepers" in the past. This is because anyone with a mind of their own and thoughts can easily express themselves on the web, where they can be heard. According to a study by PEW Internet & American Life Project in 2006, it was found that there are twelve million bloggers in the United States and 34% of them associates blogging as a form of journalism. With the rising popularity of blogs, this trend will only continue to grow.
One classic example of citizen journalism is internationally-known site "Oh My News" that is based in Soeul. The site even offers RSS feeds, podcasts, and forums that allows room for mass discussion. Even Barack Obama responds to their interview! A new word "netizen" has also been coined in the 1990's and according to Wikipedia, it means "a cybercitizen who is a person actively involved in online communities". Netizens were not only keen in pursing information on the web, but they are also dedicated to spreading the Net to all consumers with common goals and interests, thus making a true citizen of the Net.
Our huge insatiable consumption of news are being met with the mass digital access around the world. With Google's introduction of Google Earth that allows you to view real live satellite imagery in 3D, it is highly possible that internet and journalism will evolve into this direction. We only hope that the Internet will continue to grow and flourish and we will truly have our own freedom of expression.
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