The adoption of new technology by community newspapers marks a significant part of their transformation.

No longer can community newspapers be called parochial because people around the world read their news. No longer should they feel inferior to the national press because they too have access to the same information. No longer are they poor country cousins to national publications because they use technology to improve their journalism.

The power of community newspapers has grown with their use of technology and their participation in the information revolution.

Technology allows them to exercise the role of an independent monitor of power. Community newspapers reach more audiences through online communities beyond their localities. Young people who are non-newspaper readers get their news from websites.

It is as yet too early to say where technology will take community newspapers.

Already, however, the new ways of gathering information and packaging news, and the birth of community news websites all extend the newspaper's value beyond its traditional home turf.

Still, many community newspapers fail to see the opportunities before them, and use technology only for technology's sake.

For those aware of the potentials technology can bring them, they take the effort to learn new skills, train their journalists and create protocols for certain newsroom situations.

They use technology to practice good journalism.

This shows how the real divide is not between those who have and do not have the latest gadgets. But between those who use technology to improve their journalism and those who have the technology but are clueless as to its benefits.

After all, it is not technology per se that improves the practice of journalism. Technology used responsibly makes community newspapers better.