Narrowing the Digital Divide

According to the International Telecommunication Union, 14 percent of the world's population is online. However, in the United States, more than 62 percent of the population is connected to the Internet.

In chapter one of Digital Journalism, Kevin Kawamoto discusses the growing number of media outlets that have emerged since the late 1990s. As a result more and more people are turning to the Internet as their source for news. This has dominoed into falling circulation rates for print newspapers and other publications. To meet the demands of their readers, some newspapers are using the Internet as a primary resources for distributing the news. .

Considering that so many Americans have access to the Internet, some people would argue that the so-called "digital divide" is a thing of the past. But is access to this information really equitable? What happens to the people who can't afford a computer with Internet access or live in a rural area without broadband coverage?

And on an international level, what happens to countries that don't have IT infrastructure in place to develop and promote Internet access?

Many news organizations are aware of this divide and have implemented programs to help narrow the gap. For example, BBC has set up the The iGeneration to help bridge this gap, bringing hope that this gap will eventually be eliminated providing equitable access to information for all.