In
reading Mark Briggs’ Journalism next, I found Chapter 5, “Mobile Journalism”,
the most engaging. Briggs modernizes many concepts of journalism through
technology trends and reconstructs the popular beliefs of certain rules of
journalism to fit in with the efficiency of mobile devices.
The
chapter opens with the benefits of mobile journalism, the number one benefit being
immediacy. Mobile journalism increases nightly deadline
pressure common in traditional news organizations because the deadline according to
Briggs is always “right now.” Although this new responsibility adds to the stress of the journalism
field, the text explains that mobile technology provides flexibility to
crowdsource the audience for tips, content, and comments.
A very interesting quote from chapter 5 is
how Briggs describes mobile devices, “Mobile devices are like electronic Swiss Army
knives, arming anyone and potentially everyone with an all-in-one media tool that
can view, capture and publish or broadcast” (Journalism Next).
Although while reading it’s hard not to
assume that the developments in technology will take over traditional
journalist, the text explains that mobile journalism however is best used as a
supplement along with traditional, in-depth reporting.
Briggs’
also qualifies his opinion of mobile journalism and an importance concept in
journalistic principles, “It’s important to remember, however, that the journalism should come
first, the technology second” (Journalism Next).
“Mobile
Journalism” does emphasize subject matter that is more appropriate for mobile
coverage than others. Here is a list of the most suitable mobile topics
- Criminal or civil trials
- Important speeches or announcement
- All breaking news (natural disasters, crimes, or accidents)
- Public gatherings (including protests, parades, or rallies)
- All sporting events
- Grand openings (shops or restaurants)
7.
Not all content works on mobile- Think
about how the story benefits from immediate coverage
8.
Promote
mobile coverage through text messaging-
Deliver the most important information and draw customers to the organization’s
other channels
9.
Think
outside of the newsroom- Mobile
journalism provides different deadlines and expectations of content
10. Give the audience a voice- This includes understanding what is
important to your specific audience and mobile crowdsourcing
Briggs also provides a list of equipment for journalists who are
technology savvy or have to use mobile reporting on a daily basis. However, for traditional
journalists who will be reporting from the field infrequently, there is only one essential piece
of equipment: the smart phone.
Which
was particularly interesting to read was that Briggs’ stresses that textual
content is the most important element. Although multimedia elements initially
catch the readers’ attention, written content illuminates the story on a deeper
level.
My reasoning for choosing this chapter was
twofold: Journalism and the immediacy of news is forcing journalists to be experts
in technology; and although journalism is becoming mobile, the fundamentals of
journalism are essential for sound news reporting.
In reporting for the Arizona Daily Star, I am
required to attend and report high school football games which start at 7 pm.
and end at 9:30 p.m. and my deadline is 10:30 p.m. If I did not have mobile
technology, I could not have completed my articles before my deadline. I needed
my mobile phone to write drafts of my articles, send my editor score updates,
and research teams on the go.
