We the Media
We the Media, published in 2004 by Dan Gillmor, argues that the internet and blogs let everyday people publish and discuss news in real time, so big media no longer controls what we see.
The public is no longer a passive audience. People now help produce and verify news. Gillmor says copyright overuse hurts creativity, so he released the book for free under Creative Commons, with the plan to enter the public domain 14 years after publication.
Big Media still exists, but its power to shape what people read is shrinking. The web creates many voices and perspectives, and readers can link, critique, and share quickly.
The book traces the rise of user-friendly web publishing. David Winer’s tools let anyone post on the web without special skills. Publishing moved from one-to-many to many-to-many, aided by RSS and SMS for updates.
Microblogging becomes a new way to connect voters and representatives. Dean, McCain, and later Obama used online messaging to different effect, with Obama’s targeted microblogging helping his campaign. Platforms like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Medium, and WordPress let anyone publish.
OhmyNews in South Korea and BBC’s iCan show crowds can report on stories and push mainstream outlets to cover local issues. Readers’ feedback matters—a story can improve after comments, as in the Jane’s Intelligence Review example. Derakhshan, the first Persian-language blogger, shows how blogs broaden voices.
Gillmor notes dangers too: misinformation, trolling, biased groups, and legal risks like defamation and copyright issues. Privacy concerns arise with online tracking and data use, and copyright questions blur as many people create content online.
Finally, Gillmor’s goal is to urge readers to use the web as a tool for journalism. He released the book with free online copies, and drafts were built with readers’ help. The editing process even faced a setback when an editor’s inbox vanished, but the project continued as a test of the next version of journalism.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:01 (CET).