Expert in Broadcast Jornalism speaks on the blended relationship between mobile devices, citizens and journalists.

Would you consider yourself to be a journalist? By definition, a journalists is one who collects and distributes news and other information. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger gives us the opportunity to share and create archives of "news"; whether it be relevant or not. The expansion of mobile devices and mobile media has made this process ever so easy for not only us citizen journalists but professional journalists as well. With devices like tablets and smart phones we can view and share anything at the took of a button or download on an app.

The world of journalism just isn't what it use to be. University of Maryland lecturer and broadcast journalism veteran, Cassandra L. Clayton believes that mobile devices has aided the journalism community in the availability and convenient department. "Mobile devices allow you to just grab the news; right as it's happening".

"Broadcast journalism is the way we live our life now." But that doesn't make us world class journalists. Broadcast journalism is still a skilled craft that must be taught and learned in society. You capturing Chris Brown at Towson mall with his new girlfriend doesn't make you a world class journalists. Just as you being able to draw Spongebob doesn't make you Picasso.The internet allows us to transmit information quickly but there is always and certainly a proper way to use the availability of mobile media the correct way.

And the way journalists are able to quickly put things out there for us to see is quite challenging and remarkable. "Half of smartphone owners (51%) use their phones for news. A majority of tablet owners (56%) use the devices for news.  (A third of all U.S. adults, 32%, gets news digitally only on a laptop or desktop.)" With rates like this journalists have to capture, edit, and share on the go so you can search, read, and be updated on the go. Time is of the essence in the journalism world. Even as an expert, the work gets a little tricky and you wish for a slow down on time.

So the next time you get a breaking news alert from your CNN app, think about the precision and speed those journalists had to use to get you up to date. Or, when you see raw footage of a tornado, think about the mobile device that was used and how it affected that captured moment. The use of mobile media is accelerating with velocity and shows no signs of stopping. I'm pretty sure Clayton would've appreciated having a mobile device to capture moments like space shuttle launches in Florida and only time can tell what new advancements journalists would appreciate having now that has yet to be created. Just know the next time you capture burning vehicle with your cell phone and post it on Facebook, you are a citizen journalists that used a mobile device to produce mobile media.




Check out this link for more information:  http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/mobile-devices-and-news-consumption-some-good-signs-for-journalism/#news-use-on-digital-devices