Time's YouTube cover, a story about 'prosumers'

Time's editor, Richard Stengel's observation about journalist' fascination and fear of citizen's playing the role of publisher, is obviously applicable to many other professions. Participatory, bottom-up media and user generated content does shake the tree at the roots, but YouTube notwithstanding, this isn't exactly something new. Alvin Toffler (borrowing from McLuhan) gave a name to the phenomenon about quarter century go --he called us 'pro-sumers.' People who would consume as well as produce.

The 'mirror' on the computer screen of the Jan 06 cover of Time is appropriate to an extent --the it's-all-about-me idea. But it doesn't capture the other aspects about social media --the participatory aspect, the ability to create niches-- covered in the story. Or the fact that YouTube isn't about the watching, but the filming.

NBC's Brian Williams raises that question often unspoken -the problem of me-ness, and the consequence on society when we miss the bigger picture. No, he's not making the case for the old media (he's a blogger AND an anchor who believes in the social media as a 'window' to the editorial process, not a mirror held up to the anchorman) but wondering if we are shortchanging ourselves in the process.