Harry Potton

Published in 1996, Understanding journalism: a guide to issues was a book, written by John Wilson, aimed to teach layman journalists everything they would need to know about the aforementioned field. The writings are widely applicable to this day; however, one sentence stands out prominently, with how interesting it has aged. Upon the topic of controversy within methods of collecting information, Wilson writes “technology has made the phone-in poll popular” (Wilson, 1996). The quote has been singled out as it is the only mention of audience interaction within the entire book. There are zero mentions of either internet or online, and the two mentions of the word “computer” are only used in the context of a programmer’s profession. As of the year 2022, interactivity is so ingrained with technology, it is possible to leave this paragraph as a review, on Wilson’s Good Books page, for billions of people to read, if they wish. How times have changed.