By now everyone has heard that the award was either $1.5 billion or $1.05 billion. One of the news reports is wrong. I believe the award was $1.05 billion.
How do I know?
I was digitally connected to a person in the court room and via streaming tweets, I was kept current as the jury read each part of a multi-part verdict. I received updates every 30 seconds. It was a reporting innovation not possible only a few years ago.
I knew the verdict before it was reported in the AP alert.
The impact of this reporting made me realize how unnecessary AP reporters may become.
Everyone with an iPhone, there is no equivalent now per the jury verdict, is a reporter.
The newspapers have already taken a big hit with the Internet. For example, I do not know of any one under 30 that reads the newspapers anymore, but now the news reporters may be replaced by on-the-spot reports from interested observers. That is innovation.
