MOJO: Mobile journalism in HKSmartphonesfor smarter reporting

Stephen Quinn, PhD

digital development editor

South China Morning Post,

Hong Kong SAR, CHINA

Mobile: +852-9619-1922

Email: stephen.quinn@scmp.com

About Stephen Quinn

• 1975-95: reporter, producer and editor in 5 countries

• 1996-2011: university journalism professor

• published 17books and 3 teaching manuals– Latest book out earierthis year

– Since 2000: >160 presentations in 32 countries

– Trained journalists in 10 countries

• consultant with WAN/Ifra, Newsplex and Innovation International

• Online News Association’s international committee

Smartphone = tech

convergence

Brings together

many tools

Why is mojo important?

• Mojo delivers multi-media forms of breaking

news almost live(delay of few seconds) …

• From the field to the TV newsroom or web

sites

• Multi-media builds audiences online

• Bigger audiences mean higher advertising

revenues …• 85% online news sites use video (33% rise since

2010)

• Source: DS Simon web influencers’ survey, May 2011

Quinn worked as a mojo …

• September

2008: Grand final

preview

• Media scrum: >50

journalists; no private

i/v

• Player thought I was

just taking a photo …

• I got only individual i/v

• Streamed live video to

newspaper web site

seconds later

• Illustrates key points

Good and bad of the iPhone

GOOD

• Easy to use

• Discreet/compact

• Always connected

• Potential for

journalism

BAD

• Lens needs cleaning

• Battery life

• Data charges

• Tempting to thieves

Keep your lens clean!

#1 cause of video problems: dirty optics

(the phone is in your pocket, after all…)

Battery options: Digipower

Spare battery: Mophie Juice

Battery charger: Lifetrons

• Euro 40

• 4,800 mAh

(enough for 2 or 3

complete charges

of iPhone)

WARNING: Data charges

• Streaming video involves lots of data

and someone will need to pay for those

data

• Option: Use free wi-fi

• Where to find wi-fi?

Pocket wi-fi from PCCW

WELCOME TO

THE MOJO REVOLUTION

Mojo means you can do broadcast

journalism with only a mobile

phone

Cheaper than O/B vans

• Expensive to

operate

• Require a crew

• Limited number

VJ=video journalist Mojo=mobile journo

Backpack reporting kit Mobile phone reporting kit

MOJO course UNNC June 2011

Mojo toolkit (7 at UNNC)

Cost of a mojokit

• Mobile phone (iPhone 4, 32Gb) = $550

• OWLE Bubo = $160/170

• Microphone = $25

• Software = $60 (1st Video)

• SIM card = $2

• My-fi device (egHuawei) = $80 (or free wi-

fi)

• Battery charger = $100

Total: about $977 or 987

Prices in $US

Cheaper option: use

iTouch or iPhone

3GS

• Canadian company

Vericorder creates

sophisticated software

for mobile phones

• Produce TV news

stories on iPhones

• Edit video and multi-

track sound on mobile

1st video app launched at

NAB in Las Vegas April

2010;new version for NAB

April 2011

1st

video by Vericorder

Video quality varies …

• iPhone 3GS = standard definition (SD)

• iPhone 4 = high definition (HD2/720)

• iPhone 4S (Nov 2011 in HK) = HD (1080)

OWLE Bubo hardware

Use OWLE Bubo

to get steady

video and

microphone for

better sound

Now being used for movies!

Link to video

BUBO + lens = better images

Quinn’s MOJO book

• Mojo: Mobile Journalism in

the Asian Region (Konrad

Adenauer Foundation)

• Published December 2009

• Second edition Feb 2011

• Third edition January 2012

Thank you for your time