1. I FOUND MY MOJO*
Professor Stephen Quinn
The University of
Nottingham Ningbo,
China
* Mojo = mobile journalism
Apologies to movie Austin Powers:
The Spy Who Shagged Me

2. About Stephen Quinn
• 1975-95: reporter, producer and editor in 5 countries
• 1996-now: university journalism professor
• published 16 books and 3 teaching manuals
– Another book due out this year
– Since 2000: >170 presentations in 33 countries
– Trained journalists in 11 countries
• former consultant with WAN/Ifra, Newsplex and
Innovation International
• Online News Association’s international committee
• Return to journalism in November

3. 8,000 word mojo report
• 2008 report for IFRA
and World Association
of Newspapers
• Title: From backpack
to pocket journalism

4. My latest book
• Mojo: Mobile Journalism in the
Asian Region (Konrad Adenauer
Foundation: Singapore)
• First edition December 2009
• Second edition January 2011
• Third edition November 2011
• Available as a free pdf download

5. Remember the Linotype?

6. What is the termite holding?
From an
electron
microscope

7. Reuters a pioneer

8. Reuters’ mojo kit 2007

9. Massive change
since 2007
• Moore’s Law and
Hwang’s Law
• Show BBC mojo
examples, Sep 2007
– Introduce Robert Hall
• Compare 2007 with
now … and imagine
what could happen in
next few years, based
on Hwang’s Law

10. Remember Hwang’s Law
The computer in your mobile phone today is a
million times cheaper and a 1,000 times more
powerful than the one built at Massachusets
Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1965. It is also
about a 100,000 times smaller. What used to fit
in a building now fits in your pocket.
“What fits in your pocket now will fit inside a
blood cell in 25 years.”
US futurist Ray Kurzweil

11. Some theory and history
• My PhD: Relationship between
innovation, journalists and tools
they use (technology)
• 2 key adoption factors: speed
& ease-of-use
• Deadlines: journalists appreciate
tools that accelerate ways to get
the story
• Tools need to be easy to use so
they do not get in way of telling
the story (journalists still see
themselves as storytellers)
• Early mojos: New York 1999
(top); Hanover 2000

12. Why is mojo important?
• Mojo delivers multi-media forms of breaking
news almost live (delay of few seconds) …
• From the field to the TV newsroom or web sites
• Multi-media builds audiences online
• Bigger audiences mean higher advertising
revenues …
• 85% online news sites use video (33% rise since 2010)
• Source: DS Simon web influencers’ survey, May 2011

13. Quinn is a mojo …
• September 2008: I got
the only individual
interview with player
• Minders thought I was
just chatting …
• I streamed live video to
newspaper web site
seconds later
• It was an exclusive

14. Welcome to the
MOJO R/EVOLUTION

15. Getting visuals for television …
Big outside broadcast vans
VJs with hand-held cameras
Moblogs (reporters send
still photos via MMS)

16. Outside broadcast vans
• Expensive to operate
• Require a crew
• Limited number

17. VJ=video journalist Mojo=mobile journo
Backpack reporting kit
Mobile phone reporting kit

18. Iran June 2009: major turning point
Mobile+Facebook
“Hamed” is an Iranian
refugee living in the
Netherlands. From there
he put video of the death
of 27-year-old Nada Khan
on Facebook.
“I am no hero,” Hamed This video won a Polk journalism award
said. “The real hero is my
friend* who risked his life * A Facebook friend, that is. “Hamed”
taking the video.”
never met the person who shot the film
except on the social networking site.

19. Warning: Images of violent death
Video of death of Nada Khan

20. We are all online journalists now
• Anyone in room NOT
have a mobile phone?
• With mobile phones
anyone can get video,
stills and audio of
breaking news online
almost live …
• How many mobile
phones on the planet?

22. TWO WAYS TO GET MOJO
FREE AND PAY. FREE FIRST

23. Summary: free versus pay
• FREE (“basic”)
• PAY (“full”)
• Mojo via Qik, etc
• Mojo with 1st Video
• Free software
• Pay for apps ($4-60)
• Can use wi-fi or 3G
• Can use wi-fi or 3G
• Works on most phones
• Only on iPhone
• Video goes to web so • Video sent to dedicated
anyone can watch
server so exclusive
• Easy to use/minimal • Day of training needed
training needed
to learn software

24. But always remember
• Tools like those mentioned today put
powerful newsgathering equipment in
your pocket or handbag …
• but pointless unless a good brain is
using the technologies.
• These tools give journalists new ways
to connect with their publics … and
publics new ways to connect with
journalists

25. All software I mention in this first
section is a four-letter word
starting with “f”
FREE

26. How to get started
• Register (mobile USA
• http://qik.com/
number, user name • http://www.livestream.com/
and password)
http://www.shozu.com/
• Download software
CANADA
• http://www.kyte.com/
• Allocate buttons
• Start reporting …
SWEDEN
• http://bambuser.com/
ISRAEL
• http://flixwagon.com/

27. Go to Qik.com web site

28. Check if phone is supported

29. Find list of supported phones

30. Go to Qik.com web site

31. Register online (password!)

32. An example from Africa

33. DEMONSTRATE “BASIC” MOJO
http://qik.com/mojo1

34. WARNING, WARNING !!
• Streaming video involves lots of data and
you will be charged for those data
• Option: Use free wi-fi
• Where to find wi-fi?

35. NOW THE PAY METHOD
This approach better for newsrooms because
stories sent to dedicated server … means you
can have exclusives …

36. 1st video by Vericorder
Vericorder a Canadian
company that creates
sophisticated software for
iPhones (soon Android)
Create radio reports or
podcasts; slideshows or
video news stories on
iPhones, with multi-track
sound editing.
1st video app launched at NAB
in Las Vegas April 2010, and
updated since then …

37. Vericorder software
Three options in one app:
1. Radio reporting
2. Slideshows
3. Video/TV reporting

38. Students at University of Missouri
Erica Zucco and Brian Pellot, April 2010

39. Erica and Brian in Vancouver

40. 2010 Winter Olympics
• Brian Pellot
reports with a
slideshow from
Whistler
Mountain, a
two-hour drive
from the
newsroom in
Vancouver,
February 2010

41. Practical mojo research,
March-April 2010
• Covered city-wide
elections for radio
• Filed from field
• Observed and trained
new users
• Determined mojo’s
value for newsroom

42. Quality critique: Audio
Sara Wittmeyer, news
director at KBIA,
Columbia
– Listened to audio in
newsroom
– Impressed with level of
audio quality

43. Quantitative research
• Time
• Cost

44. Production time: Slideshow

45. Cost comparison: Slideshow
NB: Prices in $US

46. How slideshow was made
• Ashley and Nick’s video about making slideshow
at 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver:

47. Vericorder software
Three options in one app:
1. Radio reporting
2. Slideshows
3. Video/TV reporting

48. iPhone video quality varies
• iPhone 3GS = SD (standard definition) quality
• iPhone 4 = HD2 (high definition) quality

49. Now high definition (HD) video
• Meet Ivo Burum, one
of my PhD students.
He trained indigenous
mojos in Australia’s
Northern Territory
• They created mojo
packages and put them
on YouTube in HD

50. Tools of the trade video

53. MOJO course UNNC June 2011

54. Vericorder’s advantages
• Editing platform
• Ease of use
• Exclusive content

55. Hardware: OWLE Bubo
The OWLE Bubo
means steady video
& sharper pictures

56. Feature movie filmed with iPhone
Link to video

57. Lens improves image quality

58. Now high definition (HD2) video
• Meet Ivo Burum, one
of my PhD students.
He trained indigenous
mojos in Australia’s
Northern Territory
• They create packages
and put them on
YouTube in HD
• Also trained at schools
and my university

59. iPhone video quality varies
• iPhone 3GS = SD (standard definition) quality
• iPhone 4 = HD2 (high definition) quality

60. Good versus bad of iPhone
GOOD
BAD
• Compact/discreet
• Battery life
• Convenient
• Data charges
• Connected always
• Easy to use

61. Battery options: Digipower

62. Spare battery: Mophie Juice

63. Holding your iPhone
Gorillapod
HandGrip

64. WARNING STILL NEEDED
• Streaming video involves lots of data and
you will be charged for those data
• Option: Use free wi-fi
• Where to find wi-fi?

65. Finding/getting wi-fi
Personal wi-fi router
Apple AirPort Extreme

66. Huawei mi-fi device
• Huawei E5830 mi-fi
• Weights 90gm. Add
3G enabled SIM card
and you have a roving
wi-fi spot
• 2Gb of data a month
costs about $US 12*
• Device costs about
$US 80

67. Latest development
• iPhone for newsgathering in the field
• iPad 2 for editing

68. Prices in $US
What mojo costs …
• Phone: $600*
* iPhone 4 but iTouch or
iPhone 3GS cheaper
• OWLE Bubo: $160
• Microphone: $20
• Software: $10 (1st Video; 1st Video Net = $60)
• SIM card: $2
• Mi-fi device: $80
• Data charges = free is using wifi
• Battery charger: $100
Total: under $1,000

69. To learn more
• Mojo tools guide:
http://www.rjionline.org/fellows-program/
sullivan/stories/mobile-tools/index.php
• Vericorder site for training videos:
http://vericorder.com/training-videos
• Quinn’s book (free pdf online from
November)
• Quinn’s mojo blog: http://Globalmojo.org

70. Thank you for your time
• Questions
?