Understanding mobile journalism and it’s benefits

Content developed by Swetasha Pathak


From breaking political news to covering village fairs, reporting for a local newspaper or live broadcasting, with the rise of decentralized newsrooms, Mobile Journalism – or mojo as we like to call it – is now established and indispensable. Quite simply, mobile journalism is when journalists use portable electronic devices (smartphones and tablets) to gather, edit, and distribute news to its audience.

In other words, mobile journalism is a new workflow for media storytelling where reporters are trained and equipped for being fully mobile and fully autonomous. A form of digital storytelling, without the expense of traditional high-cost equipment, can give the greatest value from your phone as a production studio in your pocket. In a fully ‘mojo’ newsroom, this breaks down silos between different departments such as the social media desk and the video production desk.

Mobile Journalism

Mobile phones have not only changed the way news is consumed, but also the way content is produced. The exciting thing about journalism today is the tools we have to tell our stories. We have more platforms to supply – we must knit words and videos and graphics into compelling immersive content that goes far beyond the one-dimensional text on a page to tell our stories now. We must use data and infographics, images both moving and still into a piece of depth and context.

In all our pockets, we’ve got this powerful tool and by employing it, one can write a story, send a story, publish it on the content management system of his/er website, push his/er content through social media channels and interact with readers. One can also record an interview, upload it to the sound cloud or shoot a video, edit it and even broadcast it.

BENEFITS OF GOING MOJO:

  • Smartphones put a complete production studio for radio, television, text and social content in your pocket and a wonderful pathway to start oneโ€™s mobile journalism journey
  • The video from a smartphone camera can be almost identical in quality to a professional TV camera or DSLR. Smartphones make high-quality audio and video affordable for any newsroom.

KEY POINTS WHILE GOING MOJO:

  • โ€˜Mobile Journalismโ€™ is still journalism. Apps and kits arenโ€™t enough- one needs a story worth telling.
  • Visual storytelling needs one to master some simple shots that are at the heart of all good video journalism.
  • What goes in each shot is up to one as a journalist, keeping in mind the frame and composition.
  • Once, one has mastered basic shot types and angles, creating shot sequences is important to supports oneโ€™s a visual narrative.
  • With the basics of visual storytelling under oneโ€™s belt, one can work across multiple formats. Smartphones are now used to make all forms of video stories โ€“ from TV news packages to documentaries and movies.
  • Social media platforms are much more than place post stories. It is a dais to inspire and instill oneโ€™s creativity and make the world a better place with the strongest tool in every pocket.

Mobile journalism, in today,s era is all that one needs for being a perfect mobile journalist or a freelance journalist. It offers a plethora of benefits- be it affordability or portability or approachability and discretion.

No one minded if the camera shook a little and no one minded that the lighting wasnโ€™t perfect, because the content was authentic.โ€› Thus mobile journalism serves the true essence of journalism with add โ€“ ons as tremendous flexibility in format, duration, and style.

References

  • Wikipedia
  • Blog โ€“ the school of journalism
  • Mobile journalism: constantly online
  • Mobile journalism manual

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