I can remember when the television news was not a talk show, but a non-biased presentation of high quality journalism. Sources were checked and double-checked before broadcast. There’s been a shift. Today…the viewers must check and double-check the sources for themselves. We flip from one news source to another to verify a story. Viewers and readers are required to evaluate all information sources. Today…the general populace is asked to text answers to news questions and video shots from viewers are encouraged.

Today…anyone can be a journalist with a blog. Your twelve year old neighbor can put his videos on Youtube (and they may actually be good).

I think I have stated it before, but it bears repeating: The hierarchy of information has toppled. I suppose there are advantages as well as disadvantages. An example is “The People’s Digital Archive Project.” We all benefit from learning in collaboration. We live in an exciting age of innovation. But, unfortunately we now have to evaluate resources by the thousands. Another disadvantage is the loss of a shared news story. Everyone in my generation trusted and loved Walter Cronkite. We all watched the same tv shows and the same news stories. Of course, I find it ironic that I am writing about this shift from high-quality authority of information to user-generated content on a blog!

Today…I sometimes feel like the only thing we share is constant change or a random encounter.