While corporate ownership of TV stations, radio stations and newspapers has been concentrating, there’s been an offsetting explosion of citizen media:
Weblogs, or blogs featuring personal musings, reporting and commentary continue to proliferate wildly. Some are among the first to report breaking news. Others correct errors and biases in the mainstream media.

Free and Open Source Software

Open source software is written by volunteers; anyone can read, modify and redistribute the code. There are many prominent examples of free core programs running the Internet and the World Wide Web.

Much of this activity depends upon a legal innovation, the General Public License, sometimes known as copyleft. This license, created by Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation, gives everyone rights to freely use, modify and redistribute a software program as long as any derivative programs are disseminated just as freely. In this way, it enables people to participate in collective efforts without fear that anyone will profit from their donated labor.