12.10.2013

Is mobile journalism helping or hindering the journalism industry?

When cell phones first hit the scene, journalists were given a new way to communicate that accelerated the speed of breaking news infinitely. Now, rather than racing back to the newsroom to get a story in, journalists could send information through texts and calls right from the scene. But the mobile trend is starting to get out of control. According to Berkeley's journalism blog, while the computer trend is pretty much plateauing, the number of adults with not only cell phones, but smart phones, is up to 56 percent this year.
Are smartphones taking mobile journalism too far? Now, anyone can be a journalist- shoot a photo, tweet out breaking news, and spread information. While this was initially seen as a huge leap for journalism with the ability to get the news out as soon as it happens, journalists are making more factual mistakes than ever, with the concentration put on getting the story out as fast as possible, rather than getting the best story out as fast as possible.
In my experience, newsrooms have moved from an emphasis on crafted, deep, well-researched writing to short blasts of tidbits that come in from the notes, tweets, and clips of journalists on scene. So far, the news giants like the Washington Post and the New York Times have done a pretty good job of merging  smartphone journalism with quality journalism. But is the trend going to go too far? Is moving to a completely mobile model, with newspapers possibly disappearing completely, going to hinder or help the journalism industry? What needs to change to disconnect the mistakes and poor quality writing that sometimes come with mobile journalism?
Maybe nothing. According to Contently.com's post, journalists are now "creating killer content with smartphones." Contently argues that rather than toting around bulking recording equipment or scrambling with a notebook, journalists are able to much more efficiently capture the news and relay it back to the public. Now, with the "click of an app" content can be uploaded to news servers on the scene.
Does the media need to reign in smartphone use or accelerate it?

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