Valerie Gimenez says that
“If 2011 was the year the importance of mobile journalism became clear, 2012 will be the year when the media stop thinking that simply using cell phones for news gathering is enough.”
In her article on why shooting with your cell phone just isn’t enough for mobile journalism, Gimenez says there is more than one way to employ these techniques. Proven effective and essential in the right setting– such as the Chilean coal mine incident– mobile journalism is a new facet to the ever-changing field. But convenience and the ability to broadcast live should not be exchanged for laziness! Here are some techniques she offers to bring more to the table with mobile journalism:
– Microblogging is the new narrative: Espinosa has “no doubt that microblogging is the new narrative for mobile coverage.” In other words, mobile journalists should always include dedicated hashtags or plan other ways to interact with microblogging services.
Espinosa says mobile journalists, or mojos, should craft messages within the 140-character limit set by Twitter, including the title of the video or audio of the mobile report. At the same time, headlines or titles should also be search-friendly so viewers can find them easily.
– Harness community feedback: Espinosa recommends hashtag planning to “direct viewer contributions while out in the field.”
He gives the example of Susan Moran, a journalist who covered the police revolt in Ecuador with her Nokia E71, whose followers served as a compass while she covered the dangerous situation. When she got trapped in a bathroom in the crossfire, hashtags helped her know what to report beyond what everyone was publishing and refine what people wanted to know at that moment, Espinosa said.
– Save time by using geolocation. Make use of your smart phone’s GPS function to find sources discussing the issue who are in the area where the news is breaking. Do it right, Espinosa says, and you can pinpoint potential sources before you even arrive on the scene.
– Have a distribution plan. Like any other kind of news today, mobile journalism coverage should be ready to cross platforms. Think in terms of distributing your information to everyone. That means including the people who can read only text messages — not just those who are using iPads, Espinosa says.
Anna Petrow Photography 