Mobile Journalism Manual: The Guide for Reporters and Newsrooms

"Mobile journalism is digital storytelling where the main device used for news gathering and content creation is a smartphone."

The Mobile Journalism (MoJo) Manual is a free, online publication focused on teaching reporters and newsrooms to produce quality multimedia stories using just their phones. Produced by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Media Programme Asia, it contains tips, tools, and tutorials that cover a range of topics, such as writing for social media, creating Insta-stories and podcasts, dealing with misinformation and data security, producing visual content for social media, and using social media networks for investigative journalism.

The manual explains some of the benefits of mobile storytelling. Smartphones enable any journalist to build new skills quickly and affordably - from news photography to radio and podcasts, to social-first storytelling, to making TV news and documentaries - which can help break down silos between different newsroom teams. In addition, mobile apps and equipment are cheaper than traditional broadcast journalism equipment and software. This fact makes multimedia storytelling more accessible to reporters on a budget, to women, and to people living with a physical disability. Finally, from a storytelling perspective, mobile journalism allows the local voices of a community (who have access to smartphones) to contribute to the story, thereby making journalism more inclusive.

 

The manual, which was updated in 2022, includes the following sections:

• Storytelling - looks at different journalistic storytelling platforms and formats, including video, text, audio, and photojournalism.
• Safe Reporting - provides detailed instructions on data security, secure phone calls, and cyberbullying.
• Digital Investigation - looks at how to use the internet and social media such as TikTok or LinkedIn for investigative journalism.
• Fake News and Fact Checking - includes hands-on tutorials for verification and fact-checking from the OSINT-toolbox, as well as a text on the ethical questions about dealing with fake news.
• Data Journalism - offers an introduction to data journalism, as well as hands-on tutorials about basic data skills.
• Fields to Watch - highlights new frontiers in journalism, such as the journalism of things and community-driven journalism.