Alongside TV we had cameras, and families across the country filming birthdays and other special occasions.
Alongside newspapers we had 'zine culture and mail-order pamphlets.
There has always been the option to contribute - the Apple iPhone is quite possibly the first exception.
You could film and put it on your tv, but you couldn’t create and distribute to the medium at large
And you can still use the camera app to post your pictures to social media. It's hardly the same level of creative participation that the PC invites.