The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) provides an important opportunity to raise critical issues about North-South and rich-poor gaps in media ownership, content and access. Unfortunately, the official preparatory processes – and even civil society consultations – have focused too much on computers and Internet, ignoring the fact that the mass media have far greater outreach and power over people’s lives and choices. The crux of the matter is not technology but information itself - how much of information is available, in what relevant and timely manner to how many people at any given time. Immersed in digital hype, governmental and civil society participants at WSIS risk missing this crucial point.