Citizen Journalism - Put your mobile to good use

I am currently involved in fund raising for a new site that is to become the repository of raw footage generated by citizens. Some people refer to this as Citizen Journalism.  Apparently, news broadcasters and publishers, alongside news wires, such as AP and others, have realised that offering this opportunity to normal people will help the present vacuum of foreign correspondents in some parts of the world. If you think about it, the most striking footage obtained from 9/11, the London July bombings and the Tsunami came from normal folks who happened to be there at that precise moment. Have you ever wondered if your mobile, in addition to being your communications tool, talk or text,  should be put to better use? When I was short of money - couldn’t afford a proper camera - but not short of handsets - Nokia was always very good to me and let me test their newest phones in exchange of feedback, I used to shoot a lot of footage with my N-series. I loved it. I almost became addicted. I was expecting, assuming, almost demanding that all phones should have the same quality of megapixels. I shot everywhere: summer concerts, parties, my kids on their skateboards…. It was amazing. But those shots were fun, done without any pressure.  Can I imagine myself putting on my journalist hat, and shooting in the midst of an accident, a public demonstration gone wrong - that’s when the police charges and you can’t breathe because there is gas, or some horrible stuff happens around me? How do I remind myself that I can be a witness to this? That my footage can break the news? That I, just by sheer serendipity, have become the one who was there, at the right time, and with the right technology…Are we carrying the future tool for journalism?  

2 comments April 9th, 2008