BBC - Points of view in a new media age

Is user generated content actually a means of giving a voice to individuals in a democracy who might otherwise go unheard? Has it become a means of allowing popular expression to be aired directly rather than by alleged "community representatives"?

The comments board on the BBC News story about the lost CDs containing 25 millions personal records has doubled since last night

DEBATE STATUS

Total comments:10222

Published comments:7325

Rejected comments:203

Moderation queue:2693

Prior to such facilities and wider access to the internet, outlets for discontent were probably restricted to letters to newspapers and politicians, with perhaps a few opting for the rant lines of radio station phone-ins.

New and old methods may still be ignored by those in power until popular dissent is picked up and reflected by the mainstream media, but the opportunity for groundswells to form and attract attention is much greater.