Editor 's note : Michael Wolfe is co-founder of Unity Productions Foundation , a nonprofit organization that has produced six documentary films for national broadcast . He edited the Wilbur-award-winning book `` Taking Back Islam : American Muslims Reclaim their Faith , '' and his television work has been nominated for Peabody and Emmy awards . Michael Wolfe says new media give voice to Muslims who were n't fully recognized by mainstream media . ( CNN ) -- `` The media is dying . '' It 's the title of a Twitter page and a prime topic of conversation among reporters . Enter a room full of journalists , and you 'll hear constant anxious chatter about dying newspapers and massive layoffs at print publications . Just one example : The Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently became the first major newspaper to cease its print edition and go exclusively online , after more than 150 years of chronicling the city 's history . As a writer who 's been in the game for years -- over 30 and counting -- I 'm challenged by all there is to learn and at times overwhelmed as I watch old media gradually head toward extinction . Yet , as a Muslim writer , I am excited by the world of new possibilities . Why ? Because I recognize that mastering the online world can unleash a great force to promote understanding among people . With all the focus on Islam and Muslims in the news , the voices of American Muslim civic leaders , or even ordinary Muslims going about their daily business , are too often missing in stories about their own communities here and abroad . Why is it we so often hear what this or that expert thinks about Muslims yet so rarely hear what Muslims themselves think ? Into this fray steps the Web . The soaring dominance of new media is an extremely important moment in the history of relations between Muslims and their neighbors . For the first time , ordinary Muslims can speak directly to their non-Muslim neighbors -- and share their views on just about anything -- without the mainstream media as intermediaries selecting their talking heads , pundits and experts . Muslims should seize this golden opportunity to communicate their stories and views directly to the world . Take this recent example , a national online film contest called `` One Nation , Many Voices . '' The sponsors ( Link TV and One Nation , a nonprofit initiative ) challenged Americans to create their own short digital videos about what it means to be Muslim in America today . Now in its second year , the contest attracted more than 150 submissions , with close to 26,000 people voting online for their favorites . The entries provide a fascinating snapshot of what ordinary American Muslims think about the present state of their community , from the grand-prize-winning `` Arab in America '' -- a spoof about the challenges of finding a job and blending in -- to the youth-category winner `` Green Blue Sea , '' about a young scuba diver 's reverence for the natural world . Why do films like this matter ? Because comprehending how Islamic values are expressed in Muslims ' lives today is of central importance to the cause of peace and understanding and to realizing the promise of pluralism on which America and the global world is based . Now , perhaps in the nick of time , the Web offers Muslims the chance to blog in their own words , tweet their reactions to a breaking news story or further progress in their own communities by exchanging ideas through online forums . This new reality is already playing out locally and globally . Progressive American Muslim bloggers like Souheila Al-Jadda , Wajahat Ali and Eboo Patel are contributing to the marketplace of ideas online and sharing their perspectives on major breaking news stories . Muslims in the United States and around the world are reacting in real time when events like the Mumbai attacks happen , often to condemn the violence when some mainstream media pundits are busy saying that none of them cares , or worse . But conversations are n't one-sided ; they involve at least two parties . What does this mean ? It means that the opportunity Muslims now have is shared with their neighbors . When a Muslim goes online to blog about why she wears a headscarf , a Christian or Jewish woman who is interested in the topic can ask her questions directly . Sometimes it is geography that separates us , or sometimes we are too shy or embarrassed to ask questions or speak out when face-to-face . The Web makes all of this much easier and unleashes unparalleled potential for humans to communicate directly with the rest of the world . For those , like American Muslims , who have often found themselves left out of mainstream media discourse , the possibilities are now vastly improved . The ultimate impact this will have on society at large remains to be seen , but with many ordinary Muslims finally speaking for themselves , and people of other faiths taking part in the conversation , the future is looking brighter . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Wolfe .
Michael Wolfe : World of traditional media is undergoing rapid change . He says rise of new media offers opportunities to groups like women . Wolfe : New media offers people the opportunity to share their experiences . He says it also promotes better communication with other groups in society .