As Web 2.0 opens up the possibilities for online collaboration and open source culture, the media are being seized by the ''people formerly known as the audience". With collaborative efforts transforming the face of news media, music and video production, and even film-making the possibilities for everyday people to create independent media are growing exponentially.
In the wake of this surge of user generated content, the mainstream media are struggling. Newspaper sales are dwindling, DVDs and CDs are becoming relics that no one is interested in, and TV viewing figures are feeling the impact of YouTube's success.