The age of personal video as documenter of dramatic events can be traced to the early morning of March 3, 1991 when Rodney King was arrested by LA Police officers and George Holliday videotaped an unforgettable encounter. With that dramatic video, TV news was changed forever and our perception of events altered by the subsequent blizzard of handheld videos shot by individuals, security cameras and even police car cams.

Now, the most prominent cell phone, the iPhone 3gs, has the capability to put video into the hands of more than a million consumers (so far). And, it isn’t just that it allows users to take video, it’s the fact that its users will be carrying with them a small, easy-to-use camera they can pull out at take video whenever they feel the need.

What does this mean for news, corporate public relations and the perception of criminals and victims when anyone, anywhere could be carrying a video camera? Here are a few ideas:

- Companies will find it harder than ever to limit consumers’ use of cell phone video on their premises, in stores and locations. Those companies that believe they are immune to it may be the first to be blindsided by it.

- All public events will almost certainly be videotaped by someone. For politicians, celebrities and other public figures, it may mean the end of off-the-record comments when speaking to any-sized crowd.

- Any place people gather, there will be cell phone video. The Oakland Police found this out earlier this year in a fatal shooting at a BART station that was captured by two cell phone videographers.

- Major events will be covered in ways never possible before. If cell phone video had been widespread during Hurricane Katrina, we might have understood what was happening quicker and the response might have been different. In fact, a Miami TV station has armed its staff with iPhones to capture video when the next hurricane rolls through.

- TV stations are already beginning to use this to cover breaking news. It’s cheap, versatile and projects the sense of immediacy the stations know will be expected from its viewers.

- Sports video will no longer be controlled by the leagues and teams.

- The same is true of music: fans of bands will have access to all kinds of concert videos and the bands will be hard pressed to stop them.

- Juries will begin to expect video to be a part of any criminal prosecution, and defense attorneys will question why it isn’t part of a case.

- The next issue on the horizon: faked video manipulated to hurt the opponent of your cause.

- America’s Funniest Cell Phone Videos will become the most popular webcast (jk).

The video camera is one of the most important pieces of consumer technology ever created. It has the ability to document life on a level that has never before existed, giving us incredible insights into personal histories and memories. And, as the Rodney King incident shows, it can also drive us apart.

Which way will this level of video move us?