Wonder Tools for Journalists! The future beckons..

WEEK 8 : Tools that will change how reporters work

As a radio journalist I know first-hand how important technology is for our line of work. Without the right “tools,” we would not be able to broadcast our news for our listeners. I also know how frustrating it can be to have interviewed someone only to find out that it was not properly recorded. I’ve also ran out of batteries, had my interview deleted by my technician and spent hours editing a three-minute interview.

With more advanced technology, I think our work should be simpler. From NewsGear 2006, I was quite impressed with the iRiver T30 MP3 Player/Recorder because it has a built-in microphone and the ability to record directly on MP3. Now, I use a Sony Mini-disc with a separate microphone. My technician has to download each of my interviews and then he has to convert it in order for it to be in the right format for the computer. This takes time and a great deal of patience.

With better “tools,” journalists can concentrate on the news gathering process and capturing those important “sound bites” rather than having to worry if the machine is going to work or if the computer will cooperate with you. The fewer the steps and the less hassle I have, the more I can get done.

For print journalists, I think it will be important that they know how to capture images as well as write. They can now use thier cell phones which can caputre very high-resolution pictures. They should also be able to send their news and pictures to the office quickly and from anywhere (only possible if the whole city has access to WiFi). In Bangkok, most buildings, shopping centers and offices have WiFi now, so this is becoming easier. I think the Planon’s Docupen R700 portable 200_dpi monochrome scanner is incredible because journalists on the road can scan things, e.g. a press release, and save it on a USB thumb drive which they can use to send as an email attachment. It saves precious time as we would no longer have to retype the information we receive!

Final as Gil Thelen, publisher of Tampa Tribune commented in Dr. Quinn's book : "people's information-seeking behaviors have changed with these digital improvements. He believes journalists and media organizations need to adapt to those behaviors" (2005, p.208). If we don't adapt, then we will not be able to catch up to our competitors! It's vital we stay abrest of techonology as our jobs depend on it!