June7, 2009

We're on the cusp of a true shift in what it means to be journalist. We've seen it happening for awhile, but within the next couple of years, the term will no longer connote an insular group of newspaper men and women or cheesy local tv anchors (maybe that's happend already), but a new breed of real-world "journalists" Men and women who write what they see how they see it. With no technical filter.

Those of us with no training besides that offered in freshman English composition. Instead, we bring a wealth of genuine experiences to solve problems and generate solutions. I am truly proud to be at the forefront of that revolution. To me The HLMN signals the end of the reader/editor divide. Readers can and should be editors and vice versa. That is, after all, what the web is about: conversations. Who better to judge the merits of those conversations than the people who have been listening intently to the monologue for most of their lives.

I'll admit that pulling it off is not easy. Organizing the the thoughts of our half dozen contributors everyday can be overwhelming, but I am to understand what this means to our readers as well as the implications for the future of blogging and media as a whole.

I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

Warmly,
Kimberly N. Foster