As the 2008 Summer Olympics near, there are many Olympics-related news stories making headlines, most of which have nothing to do with sports. One recent hot topic is the video leak of the opening ceremony rehearsal. A Korean television journalist recorded and released footage of the opening ceremony rehearsal despite the strict security measures China took to protect the secrecy of the event. The video footage has since “gone viral” on YouTube and other Web sites.

This is yet another example of how in the last number of years social media has challenged the existing relationship with traditional media. The Internet provides the means to spread information instantaneously and the traditional media networks are left struggling to find new ways to respond quickly. Many of the large news media outlets picked up the video to show on their stations.

Technology has transformed the way that we access information and through sites such as YouTube, positive and negative news can spread quickly. It’s not just teenagers posting home videos anymore; journalists are joining in and turning to YouTube, Twitter, blogs and other sites to get their stories out uncensored and more quickly than ever before.

Even if a company tries its hardest to keep information or stories from reaching internal and external audiences, social media provide sometimes unrestrained opportunities for information to leak and reach curious parties around the world. It should be interesting to see how coverage of the Olympics unfolds over the next few weeks. In a country that is determined to control visiting journalists and online media, this leak is a first of what will probably be many examples of China’s increasing lack of control in a social media world.