Sean Reiser

Although the situation in Mumbai is still unfolding I've been reflecting on I consume news has changed in the past 7 years. I'm finding the difference in how I consume news and media interesting and a major statement on what's going on in technology.

On 9/11 when I finally found my way back home, like many Americans (and I assume world citizens) I sat in front of my television set and watched the news. Where I did read some news sites and blogs the main source of the information I was getting was from the television and radio. The internet provided supplemental information but the primary information came from more traditional sources.

Wednesday, when I got home I first found out about what was going on in Mumbai through FriendFeed. I launched a search on twitter after doping out what hash tags the community was using for this, which I refreshed regularly. After getting caught up from news sites and blogs, I flicked on CNN and CNN-IBN and had it on in background as I continued to get updates and comment on Twitter and Friendfeed. Through social media sources I saw much of the news break before it was covered on a network. At one point on Wednesday Evening, messages from the Indian Government were circulated asking folks to stop tweeting since implying the strategic information might have leaked to the terrorists.

Sometime in 2002 I heard Jello Biafra's talk on "don't hate the media, become the media", perhaps at HOPE. He discussed that it was our obligation to use technologies such as cell phones and the internet to become the media and present an unfiltered view of the world. Even CNN sees this to be the future of news (which is why they've launched iReport).