One of the most profound things about new technology is that it is enabling us all to behave like online newspapers/magazines, radio and TV shows.
How so?
Any business can now obtain a website at a relatively inexpensive price which frankly looks just as good as any other on the market.
You can set up a weblog with impressive designs, for free or again, for a low price.
Many online media outlets offer podcasts(or MP3 files) - Again, there is free software on the market which enables anyone who is relatively computer literate to do this and put their words onto cyberspace.
The phenomena of down-loadable video content is also within the grasp of us all well. Those of us who can use a digital camcorder can create content which makes us all look like TV producers.
With the inevitable fusion of internet and TV, this trend is going to continue. This appears to the philosophy of BSkyB's purchase of the broadband firm, Easynet.
Perhaps in less than 3 years many of us will all be watching our TV via the internet.
The startling thing about this technology is that it is happening so quickly and that its price is so relatively low.
A useful piece on how these trends are impacting the media industry appears in this article in the Telegraph - Here, the respected media commentator Roy Greenslade urges all newspapers to embrace the online media revolution.
But perhaps the biggest threat to the media profession is that all of us professionals can use media outlets about our areas of expertise(be it law, accountancy or whatever)as a means to communicate with our potential clients.
Previously we dreamt of appearing in local or national media to reach out to the wider world.
Now we are the media.
In light of the fact there that there is every incentive to put this content online for free(to act as an enticement for our paid services), there is every reason for the media profession to be pretty worried.
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