Useful Tips And Tricks Of The Trade For Mobile Journalists

“For the context of breaking news, think of a mobile phone as a Swiss Army Knife.” — Stephen Quinn MoJo Trainer and writer.

If you closely look at the full form of news it actually is the shorthand of saying relevant and the correct information pouring in from all the corners of the world. In fact, the full form of NEWS is North, East, West, and South. News earlier came to us via the traditional norms of media broadcasting and newspaper printing. Getting hooked to the TV screens for the daily news at 6 AM or the evening highlights at 7 PM was something we all have been witnessed to.

There was a time I myself wanted to become a journalist who gets to cover all the action and report the details of exactly what happened, why it happened and when it happened. Just the idea of touring the world with my very own cameraman to cover those incidents that actually impacted the common men is something that intrigued me.

The one major event that has probably changed the way people look and give out NEWS is thanks to the intrinsic reach of the internet and the invention of smart gadgets such as tablets and smartphones. Time and again we keep hearing about the way both the internet and the technology has paved the way for revolutionary changes in industries all across the globe. One more industry that was greatly influenced by this is the journalism branch of media and entertainment.

With important incidents happening almost every second and that too on a global level aspiring journalists need to be prepared to be on the go at just about any time and second. Earlier journalists had to make sure that they carried with them a video recorder, a still camera, an audio recorder, and a computer to give the final outcome of a complete and thorough story in the form an incident report. Fast-forward to the era of smartphones and technology, and journalists who are constantly on the go are being termed as MoJo’s.

These days to become a journalist all one needs is the power of a good smartphone in hand, great writing abilities and presence of mind that can get masses of people to listen to what you have to say. It is true that with the advent of technology and the presence of smartphones journalism has taken a change for the best. News now comes faster and it is easier to do the job with just one device instead of carrying 5 different things. Needless to say that reporting and journalism have become more efficient and meaningful as well.

So, if you are a budding journalist and plan to join the journalism family in the era of gadgets and technology, here are some TOT’s to get you up to date on how to become a MoJo with an edge.

Half Knowledge Is Dangerous And Unnecessary:

One of the biggest drawbacks of everything happening instantly is that the authenticity of news is soon diminishing. People just report anything and everything without checking the details and researching the relevant details. When what you report in your news will impact millions of people globally, it is critical to be mindful of where you get your information from. Research is the key and this is one thing that will not change no matter how advanced the field of journalism gets.

It’s High Tech But The Basics Will Be The Same:

Most MoJo’s feel that just like everything else has got replaced with technology and gadgets, probably writing the actual story will also take a back seat. Well, this just in! Just because you are a mobile journalist it doesn’t mean that you will get a break from the actual work of writing your story. With the help of mobiles, along with everything else you also have inbuilt notepads and applications like Microsoft Word as well. This, in fact, gives mobile journalists the added advantage of being able to write even while on the move.

Everywhere You Go Geotagging Will Help:

At times of major events or outbreaks such as terrorist activities when there are groups of people involved, part of a journalists job is to interview people and that too in different areas. Most of the time because things are happening so quickly, it becomes difficult to remember where you spoke to whom. With the help of smartphones now this can also be taken care of. All you have to remember to do is switch on your geotagging and tag away from all the locations so that you know where you did what.

Images Speak Louder Than Words:

Running around to different epicenters of the events that make it to the headlines, it gets a tad bit difficult to manage taking photos with the bulky cameras. With the power of mobile phones,  today it has become possible for MoJo’s to take pictures from different angles and that is more impactful with ease. After all, in any news broadcast be it on TV or the paper, it is the pictures that make all the difference. As mobile journalists use the camera in the best way possible to get hands-on images that speak louder than words.

A few more pointers to keep in mind as you cover incidents that make a global impact are as follows:

• Make sure that your mobile is on the flight mode so that when you are recording a video or an audio piece for your news bites, there are no pings or rings and disturbance happening in the background.
• Always keep the lens of your mobile camera clean and smudge-free so that you can get better quality pictures and so that the videos are also clear and effective.
• It will be an added advantage if you learn how to focus and lock the exposure while taking images on your mobile camera. This will only help you better the quality of the videos and images that you take while you are on the go.
• Make sure that you shoot in the horizontal mode while covering a piece of news that needs to be broadcasted on TV or the internet.

As you aspire to become a mobile journalist it goes without saying that shaking hands and getting to know the usage and applications of your mobile will only help you become a better MoJo in the times to come. So, say hello to technology and mobile journalism to take yourself to greater heights.