Smart journalism: How Lumias are making news reporting easier
Smartphones are currently revolutionizing not only how we communicate and get things done in our daily lives, but also how journalists report news.
“Mojos”, or mobile journalists, use their smartphones to get the job done in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago. And the Lumia is no exception. Reuters journalist Marvis Birungi, who has experience reporting in South Sudan and Uganda, says that “mobile phones are emerging as strong device in journalism.”
She recently interviewed Cairo-based AP photographer Roger Anis, who she says “beat hundreds of his colleagues when he exclusively managed to take a photo during the 2014 student protest against a death sentence for pro-Morsi supporters in Egypt.” Anis revealed to Birungi that “I used my Lumia to take a photo during a tense student protest where cameras were not allowed,” evidence of one of the many ways that Lumias are being used around the world as important journalistic tools. The world is indeed changing – so let’s take a look at 5 ways that Lumias are making news reporting easier for mojos everywhere.
1. Fantastic photos
Without a doubt, the Lumia’s fantastic pro-quality camera is one of its strongest assets when it comes to mobile reporting. It makes it much easier to photograph in certain situations and is far more portable than standard equipment. As Anis told Birungi, “Living in Egypt as a photographer is not easy, but with a portable and yet excellent camera on the Lumia, photography becomes unproblematic.” Birungi is also a fan of the Lumia’s camera, telling us that she had been using a Sony Ericson for some time and had “argued that it had the best camera. This has changed after I experienced the Lumia’s.”
2. Apps galore
With the number of apps growing all the time, the Windows Phone Store is jam packed with app that make mobile reporting easier. Productivity boosters like Files & Folders and CamScanner, travel apps likes Bing Maps, and photo and video editing apps like ProShot all work to turn a Lumia into a powerful piece of reporting equipment.
3. Office and OneDrive on the go
Office and OneDrive are essential tools for any journalist. The combination of these two apps make it possible to write text while on the go, and either send it in as is, or edit later from a desktop. The sync and share options make it easy to collaborate with others, even when working from different locations. This is perfect for mojos on the move – they can now make use of in-between time, and can, for example, write up that piece while on the train. Thanks to Word Flow, both fingers and editors will be happy.
4. Portability power
We’ve already mentioned how the Lumia camera is perfect for situations in which lugging around heavy camera equipment isn’t exactly preferable, but the portability of a smartphone as a whole is definitely a major asset in mobile reporting. The Lumia is great for reporting in remote locations where electricity isn’t especially handy, and thanks to power accessories such as the Nokia Universal Portable USB Charger it possible to stay charged up, anytime anywhere.
5. Video and audio at hand
Just like it’s quick and easy to capture photos, capturing video is also a snap. For mojos, this is often essential for recording unexpected action. Lumias can also be used for recording interviews, and many say that it can help subjects to feel less nervous.. Recording audio for interviews and transcription is also possible, using either OneNote or an app that specializes in audio recording and editing such as Voice Recorder Pro or Ultimate Recorder.
The integration of smartphones into the world of journalism is still in its infancy, but it’s amazing how quickly things are changing to accommodate this up-and-coming style of news reporting. We don’t know about you, but we’re eager to see how this affects journalism in the future. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.