When Johann Gutenberg pulled the first printed Bible from his printing press in the mid 1400’s, the act forecast the end of those beautiful Biblical manuscripts, painstakingly illustrated through centuries by hand. In addition, the opportunity to influence through writing now opened to multitudes more. The age of the accidental journalist had begun.

Today, anyone who has a computer and access to the Internet can become a writer, a journalist, a blogger. To earn a full-time living from writing may be difficult, but increasing numbers write part-time. They write, not to be paid, but because they have ideas to express.

What will happen if fewer journalists are paid to be gatekeepers, to develop expertise, to know what is of value to report and what isn’t? What does that mean to our society? Good or ill?

What did the Gutenberg invention mean to society? Good or ill? The answer: both. The loss of hand-crafted beauty. The gain of more freedom to suggest ideas and change. The risk that freedom and change would be used unwisely. Which they were at times.

Because of the printing press, we were given classics like The Pilgrim’s Progress, written by a working class minister, and inexpensive versions of the Bible in everyday language. We were given trashy novels, too, and pamphlets that incited readers to war and hatred. With the Internet, one must sift among competing words and rants to find the gems. It does allow, however, for more gems.