Dilbert is Funny for a Reason

Pick whatever buzzword you want –  Web 2.0, New Media, Social Media or my new favorite, Consumer Generated Media — technology makes it easier than ever before to share Internet-hosted content. In turn, that’s changing journalism (and public relations) faster than most people realize.

I think the pace of change is only going to get faster as people begin to embrace the mobile Internet. Already people are comfortable with the wireless Web. The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project reported earlier this year that “56 percent of adult Americans have accessed the Internet  by wireless means, such as using a laptop, mobile device, game console, or MP3 player”.

This trend is projected to increase 66-fold between 2008 and 2013 according to a recent study by Cisco. That’s why companies like Sprint, where I work, are racing to roll out even faster mobile networks which will make entire cities operate like a WiFi hot-spot. Cisco calls this the “connected life”.

Over the course of the next few days, I’m taking a look at what the connected life means for journalism and public relations.

To kick things off, I’ll ask you the same kind of question Pew asks.