From what I can see, people are getting confused. Now, more than ever, it’s all about being able to ‘digest’ all the facts and make a sense out of it.

The big question for me is how journalists can continue making a living if most of their work is published online and for free. I agree with Jenny T that citizen journalists don’t have the resources or the cash to do major, long-term reporting…but it could soon be the case that even the NYT won’t have the means to pay for great investigative journalism. Then what will happen? Why should a publication pay a reporter’s airfare, salary, hotel, meals etc when they could just get a story done by someone already there on the ground?

It’s true that new technology has democratized journalism in the sense that it’s no longer only established reporters doing all the reporting. More people can report on more varied topics than before and without constraints like deadlines etc. But that has also lead to all kinds of crap stories like Fuzzy the cat being stuck up in the tree for 7 hours being considered “citizen journalism.” What could become a great thing in the future of journalism – if the weak quality of most “citizen journalism” is any guide – is that serious talent could really stand out. Those who in the past for whatever reasons didn’t take to journalism school or working for local papers but who can instinctively use technology and combine it with good writing and reporting could really prosper in the future.