Today we all are enjoying the fruits of the digital era.

Lester Holt, a voice of calm in storm and bearer of truth to the multitudes, once proclaimed: “Today we all are enjoying the fruits of the digital era. Millions of sources of information coming at us at lightning fast speed. That technology has also democratized the gathering and dissemination of news, allowing for ‘citizen journalists’ to make their mark, even usurping the role of mainstream news organizations at times.” In this saying lies both celebration and warning, for he speaks of the immense power of the digital era, a force that has reshaped how humanity sees itself, and how truth is carried from one soul to another.

He begins by calling attention to the fruits of the digital era. Indeed, never before has knowledge been so abundant, flowing as rivers into every home, into every hand. What once required scholars in libraries and couriers on horseback now arrives instantly, carried not by parchment but by unseen waves of light. To the ancients, this would have seemed the gift of the gods themselves: wisdom descending from the heavens at the speed of thought. Yet Holt reminds us that this abundance is not neutral; it is a power that must be wielded with discernment.

In his words lies also the truth of democratization. Where once the gatekeepers of knowledge were few — kings, priests, scribes, or the great houses of journalism — now every citizen holds a voice. The rise of citizen journalists has given power to the ordinary, the ability to shine light where institutions have grown blind, to tell stories overlooked by the powerful. This is no small change: it is the shifting of the balance of human voice, the rise of many where once there were only the few.

History shows us the echo of this transformation. In the age of the printing press, when Gutenberg’s invention spread across Europe, pamphlets written by ordinary men and women challenged popes, kings, and empires. The Reformation, the Enlightenment, the revolutions of Europe — all were stirred by the sudden multiplication of voices. So too now, in the digital age, a single recording from a bystander can spark global movements, and a single post can awaken millions to injustice. Holt’s words carry this echo of history: the tools of information have always been weapons of liberation as well as division.

Yet he also warns, if quietly: for millions of sources at lightning speed can overwhelm as much as they enlighten. Truth can be buried beneath noise, and lies can spread faster than wisdom. The role once held by mainstream institutions, tempered by standards and accountability, can be swept aside by the flood of voices, both noble and deceptive. Thus, the digital era gives both power and peril, demanding of us a deeper wisdom than ever before.

The lesson in Holt’s teaching is this: rejoice in the power of the many voices, but learn to discern. Celebrate the rise of citizen journalists, but do not forsake the discipline of seeking truth with care. Just as a farmer sorts grain from chaff, so must we sort knowledge from falsehood, patience from haste, clarity from confusion. The fruits of the digital era can nourish us, but only if we eat wisely.

Therefore, let the listener act: do not be passive in this age of abundance. Question, verify, and weigh what you hear. Use your own voice not for noise, but for light. If you are witness to truth, share it with courage. If you receive the words of others, test them with reason and conscience. For Holt has spoken truly: the power of information is now in the hands of all. Let us use it not to descend into chaos, but to rise into greater justice, wisdom, and unity.