New-media technologies like photo phones are making every citizen a potential eyewitness reporter; Internet publishing is speeding up the news cycle as well. All this spells new opportunities -- as well as tensions -- for the news industry, according to BBC anchor
Nik Gowing, speaking at the recent World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. Gowing showed footage of BBC's first-ever news broadcast where a correspondent reported live via a photo phone, for a story on ships. Other speakers on panels of the World Electronic Media Forum hailed the Internet's potential for opening up the news window to more diverse and democratic perspectives during the U.S.-led war on Iraq, but also cautioned against the proliferation of rumors via e-mail and SMS.
Danny Schechter, author of the forthcoming book, "Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception, How the Media Failed to Cover the War in Iraq," showcased his media watchdog site
MediaChannel.org.
