Contribute away

With the increase in the number of people with digital camera's, camera phone's and video camera's everyone is contributing their take on the changing media world. News will never be the same.

The internet has made it possible for virtually anyone and everyone to become famous and "give something back" to the digital news room. On April 16, 2007, 33 people were shot and killed in the Virginia Tech shootings in Blacksburg, Virginia. As the story was unfolding, one student sent reporters a video he took while on campus. The video, taken with the student's camera phone, shows VT's campus and sounds the loud bangs of the gunman's fire.

Without this video no one would have known the true horror of that day. Reporters can only capture so much. Once they hear about a developing story they rush to the scene sometimes to find it is already over.

Today's technology allows us to feel the heat of the story by eye-witness reports and in-the-heat reporting by people actually involved in it.

Although some people criticise the changing media world by saying everyone and no one are reporters, I think it is a good thing we are contributing our content. People can be part of the news like never before, and we are beginning to shape the news the way we want. I say contribute on people, and create the news you want to hear.

I have never personally contributed to a news story, but I encourage people to do so. News IS a conversation so talk back as much as you like.