According to a research poll in the Daily Telegraph, children living in the United Kingdom receive their first cell phone at the age of eight. Similarly, two-thirds of all Americans own a cell phone.

Shocking?

Amusing?

Boring?

Well, either way, we can all agree that mobile journalism is changing the news world. It brings the story a more personalized view point all the while telling it as soon as it happens. Some questions to ask yourself before pursuing a story through mobile journalism.

• Will the audience benefit if I tell them this story?
• Will the journalism be better if it’s done on location and with urgency?
• Will quick video footage or sound reporting help people understand the story?

If the answer is  to most of these questions, then maybe you should use mobile technology to report.  A few examples of times when you should use mobile journalism:

• Criminal and civil trials, especially when the verdict is being read
• Important speeches
• Breaking news
• Public gatherings such as protests
• Sporting events
• Grand openings in the area

Some items to take with you when reporting mobile:

• Laptop, iPad or some type of computer
• Internet connection
• Camera
• Video camera
• Audio recorder
• Tripod
• Cell phone!

In the end, enjoy yourself. Do what makes your comfortable. Tell the story, not your opinion (unless asked). And have fun.

Happy reading!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 18th, 2011 at 10:24 pm and is filed under Briggs Chapter Summaries.  Tagged Briggs You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.