I was responsible for covering Phi Kappa Theta fraternity getting expelled from the University last semester. Editors at the University Daily Kansan told me to snap a shot of a breaking news event via a cell phone if I witnessed it happening.
The first thing I thought to myself was, "I don't even have a cell phone that takes pictures!"
Technologies such as the camera cell phone, i-pods and tiny Coolpix digital cameras are taking over visual journalism and society needs to realize it.
Pictures like this were taken from a citizen journalist witnessing the tragic events of 9/11 from a nearby location. The picture is on yahoo, but originally credited to a Tennessee citizen's blog.
Recent events like the disasters caused by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita still had effective pictures taken by visual journalists employed by newspapers. But this was only because the aftermath and destruction of the hurricanes was extensive. The effects of 9/11 were extensive as well, but the "money shot" of the terrorists' airplane was instant. It would be unrealistic to ask photographers to constantly be live on the scene when "money shots" occur -€“ this is too instant a process.
If a publication or TV Station doesn't want to get scooped on money shots, load up the multimedia newsroom with as many Coolpix cameras and i-pods as the budget allows.
It's also just a matter of time until Kansas implements mandatory requirements for undergrads in the J-School. I mentioned Missouri requiring its J-School undergrads to have laptops in my last blog. Perhaps future Kansas students taking advanced reporting will be required to carry picture cell phones.
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