Does it matter how we communicate or is WHAT we communicate of utmost importance?

They (the techie-geeks and widget-wacks) talk about the internet being “in the clouds” but really the words and pictures we put online/out-there are as immoveable as stone. They will last. They will outlive us. People far-and-wide will read them. Societies will be affected by them… and they will make a difference.

From words carved in stone to papyrus scrolls and then to moveable type, words and pictures have travelled and evolved. What remains is the fact that what we – as journalists and now as Knight International Journalism Fellows – produce will bring substantial impact to our respective host countries. Think of cave paintings in South Africa… Think of sacred scrolls from the Nile River area… They still exist! Why, because content is king – what we write or broadcast is the most important piece of this communications evolution. How we disseminate our material is almost immaterial.

In 2010, we can uplink, upload/download, e-send, e-think and transmit faster than the blink of an eye – in some parts of the world. Egypt, Malaysia and possibly Peru come to mind. Sierra Leone, Malawi and Haiti are different stories.

In Sierra Leone, a neighbourhood blackboard listing headlines of the day is one way of transmitting information. Mobile phone calls between family members tell stories of success and sickness. Battery-powered radios are gathering points for political debate. Internet cafés (when they work) are hubs for Diaspora and distant family connections.

The integral element of any communication whether electronic or analogue is what the message contains and the relationship between sender and receiver.

The 2010 Knight International Journalism Fellows, whether via satellite, e-communications, radio waves or newsprint, are bringing the world together – one story at a time. This will make a difference – just as the stone tablet and parchment collections did thousands of years ago.