IPhone For Journalists

IPhone Beneficial to Journalists

As Apple releases its fifth additition to the IPhone family, there are a few things that will directly impact journalists. News gathering will be made easier and will more affordable.

There are five things that journalists need to know…

The price has dropped from $199 to $99. Even better news, the Iphone 3 is now free with a two year contract with mobile company.

Don’t bother buying that expensive Nikon or Cannon because now the Iphone has an eight megapixel camera. Also, there is a one second delay accompanied with video image stabilization. So for those of you who want to have extensive and raw footage this is good news.

A new Safari App will be installed. This app now limits the amount of adds on the side of the webpage enabling the reader to only read the article. Also, the articles can be saved to a reading list to be read later.

A new app called Newsstand will also be included. It is specifically for buy magazines and newspapers.

Make way Facebook because Twitter is taking over. Apple has chosen its favorite social media site and it is not you. They now have teamed up with Twitter so whatever Apple creation you have you are able to tweet and stay connected on the go.

 http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/mobile-media/148264/5-things-journalists-need-to-know-about-the-new-iphone-4s-and-ios-5/

Protecting Sources

As budding journalist we are just begining to figure out ways to find sources. We talk to our friends and prowl the internet looking for reliable information.

The question is whether we think about their protection. This is in reference to those sources that find you, namely those looking to expose the corrupt.

In a recent article with the Society of Professional Journalists, Lucy Dalglish revealed a few of her tips for protecting whistleblowing sources. The folowing are a few that really stuck with me.

1. Be Clear- Your source need to be aware of what your willing to do to protect them.

2.Don't keep reports on file after your article is published.

3.Consider publishing everything- In doing so a subpoena may not be issued requiring you to give up any information you have left.

Protecting your sources is of the utmost inportance, especially when it comes to sensitive subject matter. People don't take to well to having their secrets exposed and will look for someone to blame.

While they may pursue you their is usually nothing they can do and their next target may be your sources. Know that if a source is revealled they will most likely never provide information again.

While not the most important reason to protect your sources, this is deffinately of high priority. Without our sources journalists really have nothing.

Introducing the iPhone...4S.

After weeks of speculation and hope of Apple debuting the highly-anticipated iPhone 5...they didn't.

Apple, instead, unveiled an upgraded iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, which includes an 8 mega pixel camera, a more powerful processor, and a new voice activated personal assistant called Siri. But, it's not the iPhone 5.

Nevertheless, the new upgrades can have a big effect on reporting and journalism, according to Jeff Sonderman at Poynter.

He notes the 5 things that journalists can benefit from most with the iPhone 4S and the iOS 5 operating system.

1. Price drop for older models: The new phone is leading to the older versions' price dropping. It's now easier and cheaper to join the iPhone revolution.

2. The 8 mega pixel camera: Pictures and video can be taken faster and with better quality than ever before. Come across a news story on the go? This camera makes capturing multimedia even stronger.

3. Safari reading mode: The Safari Web browser now comes equipped with a tool to make articles easier to read by stripping away ads and promotional materials, although many publishers are likely to not be fans.

4. Newsstand: There is now a separate store for buying and reading magazines and newspapers, making it even easier to get news on the go.

5. Twitter Integration: With Twitter becoming a huge piece of reporting, journalists will likely enjoy the new closer integration with Twitter that allows users to tweet directly.

While the iPhone 4S may not exactly be the iPhone 5, journalists should still take a look into it and see the benefits it offers.

It is a Digital Era, There is Always Coverage

I have grown immensely frustrated with the Occupy Wall Street protest, but not in the way that would be the obvious assumption.

When browsing several news blogs I happened across another article talking about the Occupy Wall Street campaign in New York. The article was informative in my opinion; however, one line from the article sparked frustration. The section of the story was talking about Occupy Wall Street claiming to not have been getting enough media coverage. And, while this complaint was specifically geared toward the fact that mainstream media has provided this movement very little coverage, 2011 is a digital age and everything--no matter how big or small--is always covered somewhere in the media.

While this movement has yet to receive major attention in the national news, the age of "citizen journalism," as stated by editorsweblog.org, is at hand. With the number of tweets, blogs, video footage, and photographs available to inform the nation and the world of this cause, the voices of those oppressed are being heard.

If those of the movement would simply stop complaining about the lack of main-stream media coverage and take advantage of the digital advances of our time who truly knows what will result. Look at Barack Obama's campaign--it was on facebook.

Analyze This

'Analyst', 'specialist', and 'expert' sound like credible titles. However, their credibility needs to be matched up against their credentials.

According to an article from The Huffington Post, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin stumbled after Stephen Colbert's asked what the government mandates Americans to purchase. Colbert admitted that he had not thought out his argument.

Regardless of Colbert's uncommon sense, he still managed to stump an 'analyst.' His unintentional success is unnerving.

Journalists, specialists, analysts, experts, or any one reporting on a subject should research it. This is especially true for those who are supposed to be authorities on the subject.

Last week, my blog was about the public's lack of trust in the press. Toobin is an example of why citizens are wary of reporters.

It will take a team effort in order to restore trust in journalists. All reporters need to quadruple check facts and research a subject until they know more about it than they know about themselves.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/askcurly/3606881691/