What are the Pros & Cons of Mobile Phone Journalism?
Mobile phones were once considered luxury items, but, according to the International Telecommunications Union, quickly evolving technology has made it possible for 250 million people in less developed nations also to have cellphones. As the number of mobile phone users increases worldwide, so does the ability of average citizens to report breaking news. Mobile phone journalism, however, has both pros and cons.
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Timeliness
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When an earthquake hit Japan on March 11, 2011, as major global news organizations rushed to get reporters and crews on the ground, cellphone videos, photographs and social media posts provided instant views of what was happening. A major pro of mobile phone journalism is its ability to capture news in real time. However, one con of mobile phone journalism is the inability to immediately confirm its accuracy.
Costs
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Television networks maintain fewer news bureaus around the world than they once did. The high costs of delivering "just-in-time" news coverage also includes expensive cameras, security teams and travel costs. Cellphone journalists who are on the ground when a news event is transpiring can capture images and share accounts of it for little or no cost.
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Objectivity
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Objectivity is an important tenet of "big journalism." Traditional reporting is expected to be unbiased and delivered from an emotional distance. Critics say that network news reporters and newspaper articles often fail to accurately portray the extent of social problems because of their neutrality. Mobile phone journalism, in contrast, is highly personal and effective at communicating the impact of major crises. The con, however, is that audiences of mobile phone journalists receive fragments of stories that they need traditional news sources to explain in more depth.
Inclusivity
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There are some regions of the world where English language newspapers and television networks do not have a strong presence and news coverage is considered spotty. Less developed nations in Africa and Latin America are less likely to get the media attention that more economically developed nations do. Mobile phone journalists are capable of making these countries newsworthy. The greatest con is that an untrained journalist can lack the analytic and writing skills necessary to tell the full story.
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References
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