smartphones

The reinvention of war coverage

Pitching, in person and in Russian, at the Kremlin for an interview with President Putin was not something I ever imagined myself doing, even in the weird and wonderful world of TV news. 

I was working for NBC News at the time, leading its digital operation and, having studied Russian, I was asked to join the delegation to request a ­one-on-one interview between the President and our lead anchor. 

RTS East and BBC Academy host student training sessions

Run by the BBC Academy, the event aimed to give the students an insight into working in the broadcasting industry.

The morning session on mobile journalism, taken by MoJo guru Marc Settle, gave them the skills to go out into the city and shoot and edit a film entirely on their phones. Grabbing lunch on the go, the completed films were reviewed and a Best Film award given.

Making professional productions on the go

Deirdre Mulcahy at the University of Westminster (Credit: RTS London/Phil Barnes)

The freelance producer and trainer gave a demonstration of the smartphone’s filming capability at an RTS London event in early November.

“No matter how big the tool, it comes down to the person who is actually using [it],” said Mulcahy. “Storytelling is about where the focus is – and understanding how you shoot.”

Will people be manipulated by machines in future?

Renowned futurist David Wood has warned against a world in which “technology runs out of control” and viewers and consumers are “manipulated” by machines.

Wood was speaking on the “Accelerating digital revolution” at a special members-only London Centre event, hosted at IBC, in October.

The futurist, he explained, “anticipates a set of possible futures, including things that could go very badly [wrong], but, equally, is looking for opportunities”. Before embarking on a career as a technological seer, Wood was a pioneer of the smartphone industry.