Smartphones and the changing face of journalism

Smartphones and the changing face of journalism

Last month alone both Instagram and Twitter had 600 million active users, and Facebook clocked at more than 1 billion.

It's no secret that tech innovation is changing the media landscape and journalism is being redefined as we speak, with the increased prevalence of cameras driving that change.

Smartphone journalism has become the new face of storytelling.

The Tianjin explosion in China this month was all caught on a phone and immediately broadcast around the world by every major news organisation.

Even post-explosion, drones captured the aftermath.

Now the dissemination of news is instant and immediate, and often shot by you – the citizen journalist.

Remember the story out of Australia about a whale with a plastic bag on its face? That was shot entirely on a smartphone.

If the recent Bangkok explosion coverage is anything to go by, it's clear that cameras are driving a change in the media landscape.

With the proliferation of technology, the first instinct of anyone is to give a rolling commentary on the action, through a drone, perhaps a selfie stick, a dashcam, even a GoPro.

Even news agencies are hopping aboard the selfie train, with broadcasters equipping reporters with a mic and camera attached to a selfie stick.

Sky News reporter Joe Tidy often uses that technique to interview UK political leaders, from Ed Miliband to Ruth Davidson.

It's clear – in the future, smartphones will have a major role in news production.

3 News