Why hyperlocal news outlets should take advantage of the power of the smartphone

Credit: Image from Pixabay

As the popularity of social platforms continues to grow, hyperlocal news outlets have the opportunity to take advantage of the power of the smartphone as a content creation, distribution and consumption tool.

While hyperlocals have previously struggled to keep up with the equipment and technology solutions adopted by larger broadcasters, they now have a cheap alternative in their pockets that can produce quality content at a fraction of the cost, often beating the nationals to a story with simple equipment and less staff.

Phyllis Stephen, founder of the hyperlocal news website The Edinburgh Reporter, told delegates at MoJoCon yesterday (29 April) that she has adopted mobile journalism as part of the publisher's core workflow, producing content for a monthly audience of approximately 100,000 people.

"Nobody has cracked the payment barrier yet... it is only really through the efforts of a small team of volunteers that we can actually keep going," said Stephen.

"People sometimes think you don't look very professional, but mobile journalism allows you to become more professional."

Phyllis Stephen's mobile journalism kit

Click here to hear Stephen discuss the importance of hyperlocal news organisations using mojo in their work, the feedback her content gets from the audience, and the challenges of producing it.

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