There are some tools and methods you should understand and take on as you become digitally literate.

Vanity search. Why conduct a self-search online? To remove compromising content like inappropriate photos and comments from the Web. Hiring managers have eliminated job candidates based on their Google and Yahoo! web search findings and even more so on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Flash drives and memory cards. We've come a long way from floppy disks. Small digital devices can store hundreds or thousands of megabytes of text in USB flash drives or photos in memory cards like secure digital (SD). The ability to back up text and photo data and take it wherever you go is made possible by these devices.

Mobile 2.0 is the third generation (3G) of wireless cell phone connectivity, connecting to the Internet via a high-speed network with data transfer up to 10x faster. Breaking news via mobile delivery will be a great opportunity for local news publishing operations. The need for immediacy and a wider scope of information will be central to Mobile 2.0.

The Apple iPod and iTunes have changed the media landscape. The iPod is the MP3 player with video capability. Mainstream media companies and local news organizations alike are making podcasts and vodcasts available for download to an iPod or to watch online.

'Other' wireless, like connecting wirelessly to the Internet on a laptop, is becoming more ubiquitous, Briggs says. Special cards and services like EV-DO allow Internet connection via cell phone. Wi-Fi is being offered at more businesses for users to connect. The increasing use of mobile communication technology means more opportunities for news operations to reach customers digitally. It also means a greater demand for mobile journalists, or what Briggs refers to as "mojos," like backpack journalist Kevin Sites.