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Great e-learning session streamed from University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino)

Participation - many are no longer satisfied to just consume the thoughts and opinions of professional experts - but want to be involved in the process of discussing and interacting with the news. Beyond this we’re seeing more and more focus upon citizen journalism where millions of people have the means to engage in the reporting of news - simply by getting their mobile phone out.

Relationality - many of the new forms of media that are emerging not only involve readers in the reporting and interpretation of news - but they create spaces where community springs up around the news and information being shared. People are no longer finding meaning in news alone - but together in social networks. Suspicion of Institution - Government, Church, Big Business and other ‘institutions’ are increasingly being viewed with suspicion. I’m finding in my own daily interactions that more and more people have a growing sense of disillusionment and suspicion of mainstream media outlets and are looking for alternative sources of information.

Customization - we live in an age where we have almost unlimited choice in many areas of our lives. New media allows people to customize the information and news that they want to consume. Using tools like news aggregation they can now choose specific topics that they wish to follow and control when and how they consume it. Immediacy - no longer satisfied to wait for tomorrows paper or tonight’s news broadcast - people are increasingly following events in real time online. While TV and Radio have live coverage of some big events with broad appeal - New Media is light footed, nimble, highly targeted to special interests and quick. Whether it be watching Apple release it’s new iPod live via a blogger at the press event or getting reports and pictures of a natural disaster from a blogger caught up in the middle of the action - new media is increasingly ahead of the rest in getting information out.