MoJo Quotes

Story about winter in Russia

This is a story about Russian winter 

Duration: 3m 57 sec.

Location: Moscow

Language: Bengali 

Date: January 19, 2016

Device: Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Smartphone 

Apps for recording & editing: Native camera app & Kinemaster

Distribution platform: YouTube

Multimedia reporting with mobile devices

This week we look at the possibilities and limits of doing multimedia journalism using only mobile devices.
This is a conversation with Missouri School of Journalism Assistant Professor Judd Slivka, who turned an entry-level multimedia course into a four-month experiment with mobile reporting tools. Here Slivka explains the tradeoffs involved and introduces several peripheral devices that help get the quality of iPhone and iPad audio and video closer to that of standard professional-level gear.

Example: Check out this video that was shot and edited on mobile devices by Slivka's team at the Missouri School of Journalism

2015: Mobile Journalism Overview

                                                                                                                             

At Mobile Journalism Conference in Dublin. March 2015

The year 2015 saw several exciting stories hitting the huge engagement of citizen journalists. From South Africa to Bangladesh, Mobile Journalism or MoJo more or less was practiced by mainstream media in 2015. We observed many important stories which were covered only with smartphone.

MoJo opened more opportunities for citizen journalists to tell their untold stories. Some of the greatest stories that covered my mobile journalists around the world were: #ParisAttacks (France) #PutinPresser (Russia) #FeesMustFall (South Africa) #MigrantCrisis (Syria)  #NepalEarthquake (Nepal)  #Ferguson (USA), #WarCrimesTrial (Bangladesh) #UKfloods (UK). 

Smartphone is the perfect device to capture, edit and then instantly distribute the multimedia content to around the globe especially during the breaking news event.  Mojo is an innovative form of reporting where people use only a smartphone to create and file stories. As more audiences are consuming journalism on mobile so traditional broadcasters are now hiring journalists and mobile editors who can make and file stories with selfie sticks and microphones.

2015 made a place in the history of global mobile journalism. MoJoCon, the first international media conference focusing on mobile journalism, mobile filmmaking, mobile photography and new technology that happened in march 2015 in Dublin, Ireland. The conference brought together many MoJo experts and mobile filmmakers from different countries of the world. Glen Mulchey who can be called a MoJo Guru, did tremendous job for organizing such a successful event. Like me & many other young journalism educators and journalists were highly inspired by the speakers and participants of the conference.

Opening session of world'd first MoJo conference

I believe that with the continuous development of digital storytelling tools and sophisticated apps that will bring Mobile Journalism and Digital Media to the next level in 2016.  Western experts have already told us that next generation newsroom will be created according to the work-flows of mobile journalism (MoJo) and VR.

Allissa Richardson who teaches journalism at Bowie State University said her predictions for journalism 2016: ‘Mobile journalism goes virtual in 2016. It will be immersive, engaging and empathetic.’ 

Raymond Joseph, a former fellow at ICFJ Knight International Journalism Fellowships tweeted that ‘: ‘Forget digi first, now is the time of mobi first.’

Jane Singer, professor of journalism innovation at City University London, believes 2015 was the year media organizations have started thinking of mobile "not just as an extension of the web but as a whole different beast."

For me MoJo or Mobile journalism means "everything is content." It’s a form of telling stories faster, cheaper and reach to the bigger audience. With a multimedia mindset, right use of the art of smartphone and a little train can make any smartphone user to a mobile journalist.

In 2015, I covered a number of stories which were filmed, edited and distributed with smartphone. As hardwires, I use Samsung Galaxy mega 6.3, AV-JEFES Lavalier (Lapel) Microphone, VJ Mini Tripod, VJ Holder (VJ-H01), VJ Firefly LED Light (to provide direct lighting at night).

A mobile photo captured at Patriotic museum in Moscow

There are number of apps available at the Android market for mobile journalism. Some apps are highly recommended by the Mojo experts. To broadcast Live video stream, Skype still remain the best choice for me. I use native camera app for filming and ‘Kinemaster’ app for editing. ‘Soundcloud' that I use to record voices and publish audio content. Camera360 Ultimate, Instagram and PhotoGrid use mainly to capture still photos, annotating or editing images and publishing them from mobile phone.

Here I narrowed down the top  stories of 2015 which I covered by smartphone:

                                                                                                #VictoryDayCelebrations

#RussianPatrioticMuseum

#TradeFairinMoscow

#ProspectMiraMosque

#BangladeshFestivalinMoscow

#TributetoMichaelJackson

#RoadsUnderWaterinMoscow

#AfricanWeekatPFUR

#CrimeaBacktoMotherland

                                               
                                                                                                  

I think it’s the time to train everyone of news outlet to become a mobile journalist. The magic does not happen without a mindset of digital storytelling skills and proper training. To realize the importance of mobile journalism for today’s newsroom, in 2015, I launched ‘Smartphone Journalism Institute’ which is an online platform of learning mobile journalism. Anyone who wishes to learn about the basics of mobile journalism can get practical knowledge on how to capture news video or special moments of any kind of events and interviews, use of basics MoJo apps to publish media content to your news channel, social networks or blogs.

As a proud member of global MoJo community, I'm very much excited to see more positive developments in the field of Mobile Journalism in 2016. We are looking forward to hear new MoJo voices from every corner of the global village that definitely will encourage many others to become a Mobile Journalist.   

Happy New Year 2016!

Jamil Khan
Lecturer
Department of Mass Communications
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
inb.moscow@gmail.com

LISTEN US ON SOUNDCLOUD

Dear MoJo Blog visitors, 

From now you can listen our all podcast at Soundcloud platform.
You can find our Soundcloud page which is available at www.soundcloud.com/smartphjournalism

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                                                                                                                    #MobileJournalism