It's a familiar refrain: the digital revolution has radically changed how we gather, produce, distribute and consume the news, music and movies. And that's usually followed up by a line about how it's decimating the media giants. And somewhere in the distance you'll hear a violin crying.

Well no violins crying here. I find it exciting. What's happening on the Web right now is that - unlike TV and the movies - it's not just the stars shaping pop culture. It's we, the people, who are shapring it!

And as Community Editor, I also find it exciting that "the news" is no longer the realm of capital "R" reporters. It's not just the editors sitting in high-rises telling us what's important and what's not. Anybody with an Internet connection has the power to inform, to tell stories about the world we live in and in the end, I hope, bring a deeper understanding of the people and place we live.

It's this ethos that I bring to the Bay Citizen as Community Editor. And it's one that I was practicing as a radio reporter in Los Angeles, where I also co-produced a weekly show called Off-Ramp at KPCC, LA's largest NPR affiliate.

Off-Ramp's tagline was news, arts and life in Southern California. Our motto was to stay out of the studio and every week, the host John Rabe and I would go talk to people where they live, work and play. Most of the time, we'd just ask people tell stories and you know what? Most of the time they were more interesting -- and told me more about the city I lived in -- than half the reporters you hear on NPR.

So it's an exciting time to be a Community Editor. Already, we've got nearly a dozen online news organizations signed up as Bay Citizen partners. And I plan to expand that reach to include bloggers and all the other citizens of the Bay Area. Together with all the folks at the Bay Citizen, I hope we can create a new, new journalism online.

What will that look like? I have no idea but together we can figure it out!