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In a pinch? Use your smartphone to report

You’re a journalist. You’re out in the field, not at the news station, without a camera. You also don’t have a tripod, or any other fancy bells and whistles typically used to record a news story. What do you do?

Well, you don’t have to quit your TV news job to become a print journalist, you can actually create your story with something you already have; a smartphone. 

When I think of cellphones, I envision those chunky, flip phones; you know, the ones you could slam shut after a heated phone call. Those devices are obsolete compared to today’s smartphones. Photos tended to be blurry, missing those fine details. 

Smartphones can record great video. Apple devices can record in high-definition or even 4k, meaning that today’s smart phones are up to the standard of many broadcast television news stations. So, why not use them?

Last week, I was in a pinch. I had one hour to grab an interview and some broll for a news package I needed to create, as well as get a quick interview that my station, TROY TrojanVision News, could play on the air (as a VO/SOT). I didn’t have a broadcast camera on hand, and figured I’d use my iPhone. 

For scenarios like this one, I find it useful to have a mobile journalism backpack. In this backpack, I have a mini tripod, headphones, a laptop computer, a clip-on lapel microphone, notebooks, pencils and obviously my smartphone. The bag serves as a place to keep anything I may need on the fly. 

So, the story… 

Troy University Dean of Student Services Herbert Reeves sent out this simple, little email to the student body that served as a lead to a potential story: 

“Interested in Becoming a Resident Assistant—Please See the Attached Flyer”

I said it was simple. Anyways, the flyer expressed how the university was on the search for new resident assistants for the upcoming school year. If you know anything about student journalism, some days can be slow. Anytime you have a lead, you better run with it. 

I was informed by TROY TrojanVision News that the station needed a story for that night’s newscast, so my story was bumped up to air sooner.

I headed to Troy University’s Shackelford Hall to find someone in the housing office to speak with. Sabrina Foster, the Assistant Director of Housing, was (thankfully) available for a quick interview. I clipped a mic on her and rested my arms on a desk, which served as a speedy tripod to stabilize my shot. 

Foster expressed that resident assistants should be eager to help others. 

“You defiantly have to be a people person,” she said. “If you’re not used to working with people, or you’re not comfortable being around people, this position is likely not for you,” which also applies to journalists. I had to be quick on my feet to find a source for that story and could not have done it without people skills; just some food for thought. 

I then rushed out of the building to capture some video of some on-campus residence halls. Within 30 minutes, I grabbed the interview, filmed Broll at three dorms then grabbed another interview to roll as a soundbite on TV. 

I finally headed back to the studio, edited the videos and it all aired as planned. Viewers would have never known that I was in such a rush to get the stories covered, or that I filmed off a smartphone. 


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